Jaded
by Cutheniel Yavadren
Summary: Jaded by centuries in the palace, Cutheniel finally chooses to runaway, leaving nehind her best friend, Prince Legolas, who she secretly loves. As she struggles to discover the truth she encounters pain, love, suffering, and unbearable emotions.Ch.19 up
1. Things Not Said

Cutheniel awoke to the sound of her door creaking open, but she lay in bed pretending to sleep(or whatever you call how elves dream)as her best-friend and handmaiden, Maliana, crept into her room. Cutheniel knew she didn't need a handmaiden or any type of servant but the King Thranduil had given her one. But Cutheniel was not of royal blood, she was more special, she was a gift given to the Elves by the Valier to help and beautify Middle- Earth, but that was unknown to her, for unknown reasons no one ever talked to her about it, and she never thought to ask. 

'Even if I am special, why do they jade me so?' Cutheniel thought. 'I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.'

Maliana opened the curtains of the room and Cutheniel had to blink several times to get adjusted to the light. 

"I know your awake Cutheniel," Maliana said pulling the covers from Cutheniel's face. "Get up now dear lady." 

Cutheniel looked up at Maliana, she was a bit older than herself by about 500 years, Cutheniel being only in her 700's.

Maliana laid a long dress at the edge of Cutheniel's bed and Cutheniel groaned. 

"Why must I always wear dresses?" she asked her handmaiden. "Why can't I wear a tunic and leggings like I used to?" 

Maliana sighed," Because you are special."  
  
"So I wasn't special before?"  
  
"You were, it's just now you are a lady. Even though the tailor made them feminine, leggings are not fit for you now because you no longer tromp in the woods with the Prince like you did when you were younger."  
  
Cutheniel pouted and muttered,"I wish I still did."  
  
"Come on Cutheniel you must head down to breakfast," Maliana said pointing down at the dress lying on the bed.  
  
"I think I'll run away today," Cutheniel said.  
  
Maliana knew she wasn't being sarcastic. "You say that every day. And I know you truly mean to. But I also know what holds you back."  
  
Cutheniel got out of bed and picked up the dress. "What holds me back then?" She asked Maliana just to see if she would get it right.  
  
"You do not want to leave Prince Legolas, even though you are only friends you long for him. Don't you Cutheniel? Am I right?"  
  
She was right, very right. He was the only reason she stayed in the palace. "You know me well," Cutheniel said smiling at her friend.  
  
"Well hurry and dress if you want to see him at breakfast," Maliana said as she watched Cutheniel grab the dress and rush behind the dressing curtain. In seconds she rushed back out and slipped into her formal slippers. 

"Good enough?" she asked sarcastically. Maliana nodded and said, "Now come on before they start serving breakfast!"  
  
The two rushed as formally as possible down to the dining hall. When they got to the door they stopped and walked into the room in an orderly fashion. As they sat down, Cutheniel next to the Prince and Maliana across from her, they quietly giggled. 

"I won," Maliana mouthed. 

Cutheniel shook her head, "It was a tie." 

"Fine then," Maliana said snootily turning away and accidentally knocking off her fork causing both of them to laugh. They soon quieted as elves came in with the food.  
  
However,  what Maliana did have wrong about Cutheniel was that she really planned to run away that night. After, of course, a brief goodbye visit with Legolas. 'If I'm going to tell him how I feel, now is the time,' she thought to herself.  
  
**************************************************************************************************************************  
  
Please review it would mean sooooooooooooooo much!!!! This is after all my first fic.Thanks!!!


	2. A Reluctant Farewell

     After breakfast Cutheniel gave Maliana a break and went to her room. When she got there she locked the door and closed the curtains, she had a lot to do. She dug through her drawers for the knapsack she used when Legolas and she went out into the forest.

Finally after turning her cabinet inside out she found her pack. She sighed as she looked at all her clothes all over the floor. Groaning she picked up handfuls of clothes and shoved them into her drawers. When she was finished cleaning, Cutheniel got out her tunic and leggings from where she had hid them all those years, waiting for the day she would finally leave.

     She folded them into the pack along with her light boots.

     'Food,' she thought to herself, 'I need food to start with until I find an animal.' She threw her pack under her bed and went out the door.

     Cutheniel casually went down to the kitchen, trying hard to hold in her excitement of finally getting away from the palace. When she entered the kitchen she greeted the cook and asked for any leftovers. 

     "Yes, Cutheniel there's a barrel of apples in the back room, "the cook said cheerfully, use to her usual visits to borrow food to bring to some of the hungry guards. 

     Cutheniel made her way to the back room and closed the door but didn't shut it. She grabbed a burlap sack and went to the barrel at the back of the room. Like the cook had said, there were apples. She grabbed seven of them but kept searching the room until she found some packets of lembas that the elves of Lorien had given to them on their last visit. She took five of them. 'I'll have meat soon anyway,' she thought putting them into her pack.  
     "Cutheniel! Do you need any help back there?" the cook asked.  
     Cutheniel jumped surprised and answered, "I'm fine!" She came out from the back room and thanked the cook.  
     "You're very welcome Cutheniel," the cooked said, clueless to her real use of the food.  
     Cutheniel smiled and left the kitchen. 'It's a good thing I'm on the good side of the chef,' she thought as she went up to her room.  
     Once there she stuffed the sack into her pack and waited anxiously, occasionally pacing back and forth across the floor of her room, and when she wasn't pacing she was sitting restlessly on her bed. Almost everything was ready, she would equip her weapons later on.  
  
*later that evening*  
    
      After dinner Cutheniel rushed to her room and swung her pack over her shoulder.           'Now is the time to leave,' she thought determinedly. 'While everyone is drinking and being merry.' She went over to her window and pushed it open to the balcony, she took a deep breath and began to climb out. 'Wait,' she thought pausing, 'I haven't said goodbye to Legolas. 'She turned to go back.  
     'No you don't,' her brain commanded,' then you'll never be able to leave. You'll take one look at him and change your mind about running away.'  
     'No she'll just say goodbye, tell him her feelings, and then leave,' her heart replied,' Go Cutheniel and then leave.'  
     'But she might change her mind and never leave this wretched palace.'

     Cutheniel thought hard, debating between her heart and her mind. Finally she decided, 'I'll go back and say goodbye then I swear I'll leave.'  
     'That's a good girl,' her heart encouraged, 'But remember, he went up to his room a little earlier than you, so just go to his balcony.'  
     'Thanks,' Cutheniel said and went outside on to the balcony. She laughed quietly, she was talking to herself! She shook her head in amusement, and once again fell silent.

She jumped on to the next balcony in the direction of the Prince's room. When she got to his room she knocked quietly on his window. Legolas opened it up and was shocked when he saw his friend on his balcony.  
     "What are you doing here Cutheniel?" he asked concerned.  
     Cutheniel put her hand on his face, pulled him toward her and kissed him on the lips. She stayed there for a moment and then withdrew. Legolas' face was in awe.  
     "What was that for?" he asked.  
     "I'm leaving Legolas," Cutheniel said, she gulped before letting out what she said next. "I love you."  
     "What?" he asked again. 'It's not that I don't love her back,' he thought to himself, 'I love her too. It's just that it is so awkward where she had said it. Out here on my balcony.'  
     "I'm running away," Cutheniel said.  
     Legolas returned from his thoughts shocked at what he had heard. "You're running away?" he almost screamed. 'Now that I know she loves me back she says she's running away. Oh the folly!' "Why?" he asked, wondering if there was any answer that she could give to satisfy him.  
     "Because I'm tired of being treated like a glass figurine!" she said, trying hard to control her anguish. 

     As hard as it was, he had to admit to himself that that was a good reason. He had seen the way she had been treated all her life in the palace, and he agreed that it wasn't fantastic, but did she really have to go? "Must you leave now?"  
     Cutheniel sighed, his eyes reflected the same pain she held, but she had made up her mind. "I am torn already between the thought of staying with you, and the thought of being free," she told him, hoping that he would understand. "But I promise I'll come back, once I prove to your father that I do not need to be locked in the palace to be safe. Please do not talk about this with anyone, but Maliana, who too, knows about my decision to runaway."  
     Legolas frowned desolately. "But...," he began to object, but stopped once he realized that she was right, to fight to be independent, and if she proved herself, and won his father over, they could be just as they were before, free to frolic. He knew he could not change her mind, and he didn't want to be the reason she suffered here. He couldn't find any words to express the pain he felt, so instead he hugged her silently, and she grasped her arms around him.

     Cutheniel looked up at him, and her eyes watered slightly. She shut them closed, and despite her efforts tears rolled down her cheeks, and she buried her face into his chest. She wiped away her tears on her sleeve. "Please, try to understand. I have to do this, and if your willing to, I need some help," she whispered, as she finished drying her eyes.

     Legolas nodded silently, if he could not stop her he could help her so that she may return faster. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, as he led her into his room. He shut the balcony window behind them, and followed her in.  
  


     "I need to borrow a bow, arrows, and some knives," she told him, now feeling better that he understood. "Mine were taken away."  
     "Easy enough," he said as he pulled a slender bow from his wall.  
     "I don't mean to be a burden," Cutheniel said. She looked at the bow he held, and looked at him surprised, "That one is yours."  
     "I can make another one," he handed the bow to her and she held it in wonder. "Here you go," he handed her a leather and wood quiver with arrows, matching the wood of the bow.  
     "Diola lle (thank you),"Cutheniel said smiling, as he handed her a set of long and short knives.  
     "How long do you plan to be gone?" he asked, worried that it would be too long.

     Cutheniel paused before answering, she hadn't really thought of that. "I am not sure, but I will be sure to stay in touch, in whatever way possible."

       He took her face in his hands and kissed her, "I love you too."  
     Cutheniel smiled, "I'll take care don't worry. But please wait for me," she took his hands in hers and he smiled.  
     She jumped back on to the balcony and leaped into a tree several feet away. She looked up at him standing on his porch; she waved to him sadly as tears ran down her cheeks. He waved back and sighed as he watched her run into the forest.  
  
***************************************************************************************************  
  
Good so far? Please review! It would mean so much!


	3. Stranger in the Woods

Cutheniel ran excitedly into the forest and did not look back until she was deep within the trees. She stood for a moment looking back at the direction of the palace that had held her like a prisoner for the past century. But it didn't matter to her anymore she was free now and she knew that the prince loved her back. She turned away and faced the shadows of Mirkwood. 

Cutheniel deeply inhaled the smell of the trees and smiled. 'I'm going to enjoy these 300 years,' she thought happily, as she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. She turned back once again, 'But I'll miss him...no matter how short years are considered to immortal elves like us.' She sighed and walked deep into the shadows of the forest, stopping ever so often to deeply inhale the smell of the outdoors. 

When she was deep in the forest she risked singing out loud, mostly songs she had heard after dinner when the elves were merry-most of them more drunk than merry. But her favorite ones were the ones Legolas sang to her, that he had heard on a trip of some important purpose. She walked under the trees lightly singing songs of sorrow or of joy or victory. All of a sudden she heard a rustle in the brush behind her. 

Cutheniel whirled around and armed her bow in a matter of moments and pointed it at the bush. "Who goes there?" she asked as a shadowy figure stood up from behind the bush.  
  
"Don't shoot," the mysterious figure said. "I mean you no harm fair maiden." Slowly the dark figure stepped into the light and she could see that he was an elf. "I am Manwein, I dwell in this part of the forest." He looked her up and down in surprise, 'What is a maiden such as this doing wandering in the forest of Mirkwood?'  
  
As if she had read his thoughts Cutheniel answered. "I am Cu...,"she re- thought, 'I can not give out my real name; I must make a fake one. Let's see something with a meaning....hurry before he suspects something from my hesitation.........yes, Kasumi it means runaway if I remember correctly what Legolas told me of some foreign language.' "I am Kasumi," she said aloud, "I have run away."  
  
"From where have you run away, Kasumi?" Manwein asked.  
  
"That is none of your business," Kasumi (Cutheniel) snapped defensively.  
  
"I am sorry," he said backing away. "Forgive me for asking, but it must have been bad for you to be so defensive about it."  
  
"It was, except one part," Kasumi said thinking sadly of Legolas.  
  
"Do you have anywhere to stay tonight dear maiden?" Manwein asked in hopes of bringing a visitor to his dwellings which had long remained empty except for himself.  
  
"I have the trees to stay in," Kasumi said.  
  
Manwein frowned disappointedly, 'I have to convince her to come with me,' he thought. "Would you care to stay at my dwelling tonight I have fresh food," Manwein asked hopefully.  
  
For the first time Kasumi noticed the beast flung over his shoulder. 'I guess it wouldn't hurt to spend one night somewhere, he probably hasn't had any visitors in a while anyway.' "That would be nice," Kasumi answered aloud.  
  
Manwein tried hard to conceal his smile, "Come with me." He lead her deeper into the forest.  
  
Cutheniel followed cautiously behind him, 'You have to be careful,' she warned herself, 'You do not know him.'  
  
As if sensing her cautiousness Manwein signaled for her to walk beside him and not behind. "There is nothing to fear from me," he said assuring, "You would arm your bow faster than I could hurt you. Or so I've seen," he said smiling at her.  
  
Cutheniel smiled up at him too, but quickly looked away, 'You cannot make him think you're free, you have the Prince, remember?'  
  
Soon after they came finally to Manwein's dwelling, it was a large hollowed out willow. He pulled back the leaves revealing the trunk. Kasumi walked in and he let the leaves fall back into place.  
  
Kasumi stared at it in awe.  
  
"Do you like it?" Manwein asked looking at her reaction to his home.  
  
"Yes, very much," Kasumi said.  
  
Manwein stepped over to the trunk and pulled down on a branch. The bark of the tree magically opened revealing a door. Kasumi watched as Manwein put his mouth next to the door and whispered lowly so that even she could not hear what he had whispered. It suddenly opened and he signaled for his visitor to follow him inside. 

Kasumi looked inside the interior of the tree in awe. It had a carved in fireplace and the chimney was a hollow branch coming out of the side of the willow. 

"Did you make it yourself?" she asked in wonder.  
  
"No, I would never be able to do this. It's an abandoned wood-pixie home. I just re-furnished it to fit my size." he said smiling at her reaction once again.  
  
"This is so much homier than the palace," Kasumi said aloud, soon realizing what she had let slip.  
  


"You lived in the palace?" he asked in surprise, "So you are royalty?"  
  
"No, I am of no royal heritage," she replied calmly. And it was the truth, nobody saw her as royal, just very special.  
  
Manwein stared suspiciously at her for a moment then said, "Here I'll show you to your room."  
  
He went up the stairs and she eagerly followed. Three doors down the hall he opened up a room and let her enter first. Amazed once more Kasumi looked around the room, it was beautiful yet homey. There was a large bed with white sheets and vases of flowers everywhere. The frame of the bed was elegantly carved with fields of flowers on the skirt of a forest and through the meadow flowed a stream, it was done so skillfully that in the candlelight it seemed to be real, the flowers and grass swayed in the breeze and the stream bubbled and flowed. She blinked suddenly and the scene was still.  
  
"Who use to stay here?" she asked for it seemed to be made for someone special.  
  
"No one I just decided to make this room like this. Do you like it?" he asked looking at the beautiful elf walking about the room. Kasumi walked to the window which let in the moonlight and peered outside. It was amazingly still dark. She turned back to Manwein who was still awaiting her answer. 

"Yes," she said smiling at him. Manwein smiled back and they stood there and stared at each other. Then Kasumi grew cautious and looked quickly away. 'He is attracted to me,' she thought to herself, 'I most tell him soon that I have a love. Before he hopes too much.'  
  
She looked once again at her host who was staring confused at her reaction. 'But it will hurt him. So I must tell him soon before it hurts him more.'  
  
"I will go make you some dinner," he said walking toward the door, "You must be hungry."  
  
Kasumi watched as he left the room and shut the door. When he was gone she sat on the bed and took off her pack. 

'I wonder what they will do when they find that I'm gone,' she thought to herself, 'I hope Legolas does not meet someone else. I hope he will be fine.' She frowned as she thought sadly of her friend and lover that she had left behind. She thought for some time about the many people she had left and was surprised when there was a knock on the door. She got up and let Manwein in. 

He was carrying a tray of food consisting of a goblet of wine, a plate of the fresh meat he had carried on his shoulder, and a bowl of sweet berries for dessert. Kasumi frowned secretly when she saw a small vase with a single rose also on the tray. 

'I must tell him now,' she thought.  
  
"Manwein I have...,"she stared into his happy face wondering how she would break it to him.  
  
He tilted his head to the side, confused.  
  
"Manwein I have no idea how I can repay you for your kindness," Kasumi said smiling. Manwein once again smiled at his fair guest. 'No I have not the heart to tell him yet.'  
  
"You do not need to," Manwein said trying to hide that his ankles were going weak at her smile. 'I need to leave before she can sense my feelings. It might intimidate her for we have only just met a few hours ago.' "I'm sorry, but I must leave now dear Lady. But if you want anything just ask. My room is at the end of the hall."  
  
Kasumi watched amusedly as the elf exited shakily from her room.  
  
'He is not much older than me is he? I wonder why he is here and not in a village?' she thought as she took a bite from her meat. She was surprised when it turned out to be very good, juicy and flavorful. Everything else from her meal was good as well, but she drank little of the wine, not that it was bad, just that she did not enjoy wine much in the first place even though must elves did.  
  
When she was done she set the tray on her cabinet but placed the vase with the rose on her bedside table. 'Just as a friendly gesture,' she told herself as she put out the lantern and crawled into bed. Probably because of all those years in the palace, Kasumi felt filthy. 'I will ask if I can take a bath tomorrow,' she said before she slowly fell into dream.  
  
***************************************************************************************************  
  
Good so far? Thanks all of you that reviewed I'll be sure to get done with the next chapter soon!  
  
And please more reviews!!!!!!!!!!!! I enjoy reading them and if you have any questions or suggestions just e-mail me: Chichikat90@aol.com. Thanks for reading! 


	4. A Quick Reunion

Kasumi awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She sat up slowly and looked at her surroundings. She was definitely no longer in the palace. 'Oh yes,' she thought, 'I am in Manwein's dwelling.' 

She sat there and stretched out her limbs before remembering her great need for a bath.     'Is Manwein awake?' she wondered. 'Probably not, I look for the bath myself.' 

She got up and quickly brushed out her long brown hair. Back at the palace they found her hair slightly unusual, it wasn't dark brown and it wasn't blonde- brown, it was just brown. After untangling her hair Kasumi quietly crept out on to the hallway and looked around at the many doors. 

'Well it's not the last door on the right, that's Manwein's room. Maybe it's the one across from his,' she thought as she walked slowly to the last door to the left. She slowly opened the door, she was right, it was the bath. She looked around then quickly stepped in.  
  
*meanwhile*  
  
Manwein woke up and turned over trying to recall what had happened the day before. He had gone out hunting and met a runaway elf. Kasumi, she had said her name was, she had muttered something about a palace. But she said she wasn't royalty. She looked it though, she was beautiful.  
  
He would make her his. He was startled from his thoughts, when he saw a shadow walk pass his doorway. 

'She is awake already?' he wondered. He listened as she quietly opened the door to the bath. 'She does not know where the soaps are,' he thought, 'I must hurry and tell her before she undresses.' Manwein hoped strongly that he would not walk in on her, so as to embarrass her, but yet he also hoped for the opposite…  
  
Kasumi looked at the round bath which was finely carved from a solid piece of wood and ran her hands along the engravings. She took a towel from the closet and set it by her change of clean clothes. She dropped her dirty tunic and leggings on the ground, then remembered, 'Soap.'  
  
As if to answer her question Manwein knocked quietly on her door.  
  
"Wait!" she said as she hurriedly picked up her towel and wrapped it about her body. "Come in!"  
  
Manwein stepped in slowly not sure of what he was about to see. "Lady, the soaps are in," Manwein lifted his eyes to look at the elf in front of him. She was certainly beautiful on the outside, but to see the fairest maiden he had ever laid his eyes on wrapped in a towel was a new to him, and he enjoyed very much, though he tried hard not to show it.  

Kasumi frowned, annoyed with the fact that staring was one of the reasons she left the palace.  
  
"Soap please, Manwein," she said breaking his thoughts.  
  
"Oh, yes, of course," he said embarrassed turning to the closet to get soap off the high shelf. 'I wonder which one she would like best,' he thought debating over what soap scent to give her, 'Probably lavender, yes lavender would suit her well.' He grabbed the bottle of lavender soap and turned to hand it to Kasumi. "Here you go," Manwein stuttered, carefully handing the bottle over to Kasumi.  
  
Kasumi took the soap and looked up at Manwein, "Thank you." 

Manwein just stood there staring at her. 

"Thank you, Manwein." She frowned as Manwein stood there still staring. Kasumi annoyed, cleared her throat and Manwein snapped back to reality.  
  
"Oh yes, you're welcome," he managed to stutter as he made his way out the door.  
  
When he finally left and shut the door Kasumi sighed and rolled her eyes. She dropped the towel and put the soap next to the bath.  
  
*later*  
  
Kasumi stepped out of the bathroom and shut the door. It felt so good to once again be clean.  
  
She stepped quickly to her room and went in. She was surprised at how dark it was then realized it was because the curtains were still closed. Kasumi opened the curtains and let the light poor in. She turned to her bed and was surprised when a note lay on her pillow, she picked it up and silently read it.  
  
Dear Kasumi,  
  
I am sorry for the incident earlier. I am off hunting and will be gone for a few hours, you can go out or explore the willow a bit. If you get hungry there is bread and honey on the table. I will see you shortly.  
  
-Manwien  
  
'So,' she thought to herself, 'I have the first few hours of the day all to myself. What do I want to do my first day free of the palace?' Kasumi smiled. "See if Legolas is out hunting," she said aloud and laughed. 

It had been only a day and a half but already Kasumi missed him so much. She grabbed her pack and left the house. Once outside she reminded herself, 'Remember, I am really Cutheniel, not Kasumi. Kasumi is fake, don't be surprised when he doesn't call me by my secret name.' She smiled at the thought of seeing her love once again and set off into the woods. 

Bow in hands, she trotted under the trees quietly singing tunes she made on-the- spot. Suddenly she heard louder singing coming toward her, so she jumped into the nearest tree. She quietly peered down and watched the elf walk under her very tree. She watched intently as he turned his head, it was Legolas. Cutheniel could not suppress her squeal of joy. Startled, Legolas looked up and was surprised to see his friend.  
  
"Cutheniel!" Legolas shouted in surprise. Cutheniel jumped gracefully out of the tree to greet him.  
  
"Sorry, I meant to not let you see me till my return to the palace but I missed you so much. That shows how strong I am, by cracking on the second day of my 'disappearance'," Cutheniel smiled at him, then with out controlling herself she stepped forward and embraced him. 

"Sorry," she said stepping back embarrassedly.  
  
"It's okay I missed you too," Legolas said stepping to her side, closing the large, uncomfortable gap in between them. 

Cutheniel turned to face him, "So how did they react when they found that I was gone?"  
  
"They went insane!" he said chuckling, "Maids here and there screaming your name, guards running around outside, my father ordering everyone to look in the most unlikely places for you, and me trying to act like I didn't know what happened to you either."  
  
Cutheniel laughed, "I didn't know it would work that well, but did anyone suspect that I had run away?"  
  
"Only Maliana and I, we tried so hard to like confused as well, but everyone was too frantic looking for you to see that we knew what had happened."  
  
They walked silently for some minutes before Cutheniel said, "What did you really come here for? Because I know you're not out hunting for you don't have your bow."  
  
Legolas sighed and turned to her, "My father is sending me to fight the orcs, for their number is growing rapidly once again in the northern region of the Misty Mountains."  
  
"Once again I envy your position, dear Legolas," Cutheniel said turning to face him. "You go on so many adventures. I am constantly stuck up in the palace, or at least I was."  
  
"But I will be gone longer than the usual trips we take to fight the orcs. Much longer."

"Why?" Cutheniel asked worriedly, "What more do you have to do?"  
  
"My father is going to Imladris and he wants me to go with him," Legolas stopped walking for a moment to look at Cutheniel, then once again resumed to what he was saying. "He says he has to take a break from ruling the kingdom, and then he had a long speech to give to me about how I should start training to be a king and how I should begin looking for a wife." From the corner of his eye he glanced at Cutheniel who was watching her feet. 

"How did it feel?" he asked her suddenly.  
  
"How did what feel?" she replied confused.  
  
"Always telling me how to impress a girl and listening to me rave about some fair maiden I had met at dinner or someplace else..........when you..........I don't know how to put this.....um......"  
  
"When I loved you," Cutheniel said finishing his sentence.  
  
"Yes," he said nodding, "That's it."  
  
"Well, it was hard," she said and looked at Legolas as he chuckled, "But you were my friend, and I didn't want you to find out that I.......you know....," Legolas nodded in acknowledgement. "So I had to answer you're questions and listen to your stories, or you would have suspected something."  
  
"Oh," Legolas said. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay, you didn't know," Cutheniel said smiling.  
  
"But I do now and when you come back I'll make it up to you," he said putting his arm over her shoulder.  "Well, aren't you supposed to ask how I felt?" he asked her.

She looked up at him surprised. "Fine then, how did you feel?"

Legolas sighed. "I felt horrible. Trying not to think about you, trying not to show feelings for you, and trying to be interested in other girls, because your act was so good. I had myself convinced that you and I would never be more than friends. Shows how wrong I am, huh?"  
  


Cutheniel sighed, it was good to be with him again. Suddenly Legolas looked up at the sun.

  
"Oh no," he said lifting his arm off of her. "I must go now, I have to get back to the castle soon, and we have walked far."  
  
Cutheniel looked up at the sky, it was about mid-afternoon. "I should leave too, it's mid-afternoon and I have to retrace my steps back to my camp."  
  
Legolas embraced her and kissed her on the lips for what seemed like a very long time.  
  
"That's for all the hard times I gave you. I hope it will do for now," he said as he withdrew.  
  
"It will," Cutheniel said smiling at the sweet tingling of her lips. She watched sadly as her lover ran into the shadows of the forest, wondering when she would see him again.  
  
Then Cutheniel remembered that she must be heading back as well. "I hope Manwein's not back yet," she whispered to herself. With that she rushed of into the forest to retrace the steps she had taken from the willow.  
  
***************************************************************************************************  
  
Good so far? Review please!!!!!! And more suggestions and comments too please. If you have any questions, suggestions, and/or comments email me at Chichikat90@aol.com. 

Dear Space Llama... thank you for your suggestion I'll keep out the ( ) messages. I will also email you the answer to your question. Thanks everyone once again!!!!! P. S. There will be more danger in store for Cutheniel/Kasumi later so I might raise the rating to PG13.


	5. Wargs

Days went by the same way, Manwein went out to hunt, Kasumi explored the forest. They came back in the afternoon, ate supper, and then talked to each other outside if it was warm, or inside if it was cold. 

It went on like that for quite some time, a month at least, and Kasumi hadn't told Manwein about Legolas, who had been gone since their visit earlier. She just didn't have the heart to. But one night he pushed her to the limit and she told him..........  
  
It was Midsummer's Day and the two decided to have a feast, between the two of them at least, since they were the only ones they knew out there. Manwein had gone out hunting and Kasumi was decorating the interior of the willow. She made long strands of flower chains and hung them on the walls, then after she was finished she took the extras and braided them into her hair. She had decided not to wear a dress so this would be the formal part of her outfit. She walked outside and sat on the bench in front of the willow. Being bored she hummed to herself quietly until Manwein came back.  
  
She smiled at him as he entered the clearing with a small beast on his shoulder and Manwein stumbled on accident. As he entered the willow Kasumi laughed to herself, it was funny how Manwein reacted to her. After they had finished dinner, they settled into chairs seated in front of the fireplace and talked to each other about their lives before.  
  
"Manwein I never found out why you live here. Why'd you leave your family?" Kasumi asked curiously.  
  
"My family and I lived in a small village outside the palace, but one day our village was raided by orcs. I had jumped into a tree earlier to look at the palace from far away when everyone was sleeping, then I heard a large rumble down at the village so I looked down and saw orcs raiding our houses. They took everybody, but they hadn't noticed me. Since I was all alone I ran deeper into the forest and I found the willow. So here I am," Manwein said.  
  
"Oh," Kasumi whispered. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay. If I hadn't runaway I probably wouldn't have met you," Manwein said looking at Kasumi.  
  
She looked away from him and stared into the fire for some seconds before he edged closer to her and put is hand on her knee. Shocked, Kasumi stared at him as he came ever closer to her. She backed away till she got to the end of her chair and watched in horror as he came ever closer. He bent down to kiss her lips, but she turned away and he kissed her cheek instead. 

Manwein frowned disappointedly. As he bent down once again Kasumi tried hard to push him away but he was at an advantage because he was pushing down and she was pushing up. Finally she threw him off her and he landed with a thump on to his chair. Manwein got up and looked at her, confused.  
  
"I love someone else Manwein," Kasumi blurted out. She regretted her words when Manwein bowed his head embarrassed and ashamed. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay," he said plopping down into his seat and staring at the fire.  
  
"I'm going to go for a walk," Kasumi said. She couldn't stand to be in the willow right now, not when Manwein was like that.  
  
Manwein nodded his head and Kasumi stepped out.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said turning to her, but she had already left. He sighed and threw his head back into his chair. 'It was foolish of you to think that she would love you,' he said to himself.  
  
Kasumi ran outside and stood there for a moment thinking of what she had done to her host. She shook her head. 'You did the right thing,' she assured herself as she walked into the forest.  
  
"I'll go back when he's asleep," she thought. "It would be cruel to just leave......or would it hurt him more if I came back? I'll have to see."  
  
She walked quietly through the woods for a couple of hours before she turned to go back. All of a sudden she heard a rustle behind her, she swung around and pulled out her longest knife from her back. 

All was quiet, then Kasumi heard a breath behind her, she looked over her shoulder. Suddenly a large wolf jumped at her from behind the bushes. Quickly she turned around and slit its throat. She was pushed to the ground by another wolf and she struggled to get it off her back. She swung her knife around above her head hoping that it would scare off her attacker. Fortunately the wolf jumped away from her and snarled. From the bushes came another, then another, till she was surrounded by a small pack of them;7 she counted. 

Cautiously she pulled out another knife so both hands were armed. Her predators stood there and Kasumi gulped nervously before she charged at them with her knives hoping to scare off half of them. She easily skewered two wolves before she began to lose her defense. She had worked to keep the wolves out in front of her so they wouldn't encompass her in a trap but while one had kept her on her guard another jumped behind her and before she could stop them the wolves had encircled her. Kasumi quickly pulled out a small dagger and threw it at a wolf trying to get near her. 

She had managed to scare off two other wolves and had only two left to deal with. One was large and powerful, probably the leader she thought to herself, the other was almost as large and powerful, probably the second in command. The second wolf pushed her down and the leader grabbed Kasumi's leg with his powerful vice like jaws. Kasumi clenched her teeth in pain as she kicked off the wolf. 

As she rose to her feet the second wolf swiped his large claw at her side and Kasumi threw her knife at him in reflex, it pinned him against a tree by his neck and Kasumi tried to keep her guard as she clutched her bleeding side. The last wolf jumped at her, but in anger Kasumi charged her knife through its body. She sighed as the Warg's carcass slid off her knife and to the ground. 

Kasumi took a moment to catch her breath before she remembered the two wolves that had gotten away, they could be back anytime with help so she had to leave fast. 

'As fast as possible at least,' Kasumi thought as she began to run but was stopped by her injured leg. She clutched her side and tried as hard as possible to move as fast as she could in the direction of the willow the only place close enough where she could get help. 'I hope Manwein has gotten over what I said,' Kasumi thought as she dragged along her leg.  
  
After what seemed like forever Kasumi stepped into the clearing and edged toward the willow. She felt the weakest she had ever felt in her entire life, and it must of been, for she fell and could not get up before she got to the door.  
  
***************************************************************************************************  
  
Will Cutheniel/Kasumi make it? Will Manwein be able to bear to help her? Find out in Chapter 6.Thanks for reading!!!!!!!!!!! Please review!!!! Please, please, please!!!!!!!!!  
  
P.S.-) Dear Ice White Lady thanks for the, um, support. My first "set" of parents (my mom and my step dad) only let me see LOTR once, but my "second set" (my dad and my step mom) let me and my lil' sis watch it 2 times.  
  
Well review, review, review, review, even if you've already reviewed. Review again!!! 


	6. Explanations and Pranks

Manwein woke up in his chair facing the fire. He had fallen asleep in his depression and now he felt like an ass for being so forward with Kasumi. 'She has been gone a long time,' he thought staring at the door she had slammed after he had made advances on her. 'I hope she's okay,' he thought scorning himself once again for what he had done. 

He sat for some time wondering if Kasumi would ever come back, his thoughts brought him to look at the door where he saw Kasumi's bow and quiver propped against the wall. 

'She would never leave her weapons,' he assured himself, 'She'll come back. But what will I say to her? I know I must apologize, but how?' 

Manwein debated on this subject for quite some time until his sharp elfin ears picked up a thump from outside. He stood up in surprise and walked cautiously to the door. He slowly opened the door and peered outside, there was nothing. Manwein began to close the door when his eyes caught sight of a boot on the ground. 

"What the.....," Manwein whispered aloud as he swung open the door. "Kasumi!" 

Manwein was shocked to see Kasumi's limp body lying outside his door badly wounded on her leg and stomach. He rushed to her side and gently picked her up, he sighed when he found that her body was not cold. He rushed her into the willow and up to her room. 

"Kasumi," he whispered in her ear repeatedly hoping for an answer, but there was nothing. He ran down to his pantry to retrieve some herbs and flowers and threw them into a pot of hot water. When he finished the tea he poured into a cup and brought it up to Kasumi. She was still unconscious so he tilted her head up and poured in the warm tea. He gave her more tea on an hourly basis, but there was still no sign of Kasumi waking up.  
  
* a day later *  
  
Kasumi awoke with a groan and rubbed her eyes. She was amazed to find that she was in her room in Manwein's dwelling. She laid there trying to recall exactly what had befallen her the day before. She tried to sit up but fell back into bed as a sharp pain surged through her side. Her hand came down to clutch the wound and she found that it was tightly bandaged, but the rest of her body was bare. She brought her hand under the covers and rubbed her injured leg, it too was expertly wrapped. 

She sat up and wrapped the sheets around her body and took a look around. According to the light flowing in through the window Kasumi reckoned that it was late into the morning.  
  
"Oh you're up," Manwein said cheerfully as he walked into the room with another cup of tea, "I was worried that you would never get up."  
  
"How long was I unconscious?" Kasumi asked propping her weak body against the bed post and wrapping the covers tighter around herself.  
  
"A little more than a day," Manwein said walking over to place the cup of tea on to the bedside cabinet.  
  
"Thank you for taking care of me," Kasumi said looking up at Manwein.  
  
"It was no burden. Of course I would help you," Manwein said coming to sit on the side of her bed. "Sorry about.....you know."  
  
"It's okay," Kasumi said putting her hand on his shoulder. "You didn't know."  
  
"Well, get some rest," Manwein told her as he got up, "You're still very weak. Drink that tea then go to sleep."

Kasumi frowned, "I feel fine," she complained.

Manwein smiled, and laughed, "Don't fool yourself, you know how bad you are injured, if only mortally."

  
Kasumi watched as Manwein headed for the door. "Manwein, I have one more question....."  
  
Manwein turned around to look at her, "What is it?"  
  
"Who undressed me?"  
  
Manwein smirked and Kasumi frowned.  
  
"Whoever your lover is, he must find himself very lucky," Manwein said slyly.  
  
"We never did 'that'," Kasumi said calmly.  
  
"Well he doesn't know what he's missing," Manwein said chuckling as he watched Kasumi grimace.  
  
"I only told him what I felt right before I left."  
  
"Oh," Manwein said beginning to understand. "Who is he anyway?"  
  
"I'll tell you some day, though you probably know him," Kasumi said slyly. She giggled as she watched Manwein pout.  
  
After he left the room she drank the tea and went to 'sleep'.  
  
***************************************************************************************************  
  


This chapters not so long. Mostly conversation. Thanks for all the reviews so far, keep 'em coming. 

Dear Sommer is this better? Well for any questions, suggestions, etc. email me at Chichikat90@aol.com. 

Thanks and review, review, review. And for Spacellamaprincess the answer to your question (Which Valier sent Cutheniel?) will come up in later chapters but if you really want to know I'll email it to you if you review and ask me to. Just in case anyone else wants to keep it a surprise until I post that certain chapter.


	7. Sweet Dreams?

Cutheniel walked through the edge of the forest, bow in hand. She heard footsteps following behind her and she whirled around. There stood Legolas, but he looked different, familiar, but still different.  
  
'He looks younger,' Cutheniel thought. She glanced down at her bow in her hand, then glanced back. It was smaller. She whipped out her knife and stared at her reflection.  
  
"I'm younger," she whispered in awe.  
  
She was back in the times which she had longed for. The days in which she was allowed to roam with her friend. Cutheniel smiled, she wished she could stay in this time period forever.  
  
She looked back at Legolas from the corner of her eye, trying hard to remember what she felt for him when they were this age. Then it came to her, she had not felt anything for him until she had come to be trapped in the palace. 'Yes, we are too young right now, if I remember correctly I'm now only a little above 150.'  
  
"Cutheniel," Legolas called from behind her. "Race you to the top of the trees!"  
  
Cutheniel smiled as she watched the young Prince dash up the tree. She remembered the contests they had such as this long ago, constantly trying to prove who was best. "You're not going to win, Legolas," Cutheniel shouted as she jumped into the next tree and nimbly climbed up, hoping to catch up with her dear friend.  
  
The branches and leaves wooshed past her face and the air roared through her ears. Cutheniel rushed faster as her ears picked up the sound of Legolas in the nearby tree climbing to the top.  
  
"Here," they called in unison when they reached the top.  
  
"Why do we always tie!" Legolas exclaimed throwing his arms in the air, then quickly returning them to the branches to keep his balance.  
  
Cutheniel giggled and began to descend to the ground. Legolas did the same and they brushed themselves off as they landed on the ground. Cutheniel stared at Legolas as he brushed the leaves off his tunic. 'He's grown so much since now, I'm mean then, or... never mind,' she thought smiling.  
  
"What?" Legolas asked seeing that she was not only staring at him, but smiling at him as well.  
  
Cutheniel snapped back to her senses. "Nothing," she replied staring away.  
  
"Cutheniel, Legolas!!!!!"  
  
The two looked in the direction of the palace, where the call had come from. Cutheniel looked at Legolas confused, Legolas just shrugged and signaled for them to head to the palace.  
  
"Last one there is a yrch!" he called as he raced through the trees.  
  
"That would be you!" Cutheniel called as she ran after him.  
  
She skidded to a halt as she came into the clearing in front of the palace.  
  
"I won," Legolas said as she caught her breath.  
  
"You had a head start."  
  
"Cutheniel," a deeper voice said.  
  
Cutheniel turned around and was surprised to see King Thranduil standing before her.  
  
"Yes your highness?" Cutheniel said bowing her head and curtsying with an imaginary skirt that she was supposed to wear.. She glared at Legolas who was chuckling at the sight of her curtsying with leggings on.  
  
"When will you stop wearing those breeches Cutheniel? They are not meant for girls," King Thranduil said disapprovingly.  
  
"Well...," Cutheniel began.  
  
King Thranduil interrupted, "But that's what I want to talk to you about Cutheniel. You should be around young maidens like yourself, not tramping out in the forest."  
  
"So you mean you want me to stay in the palace?" Cutheniel asked worriedly.  
  
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. I'd like to introduce you to your handmaiden, Arethirien."  
  
Cutheniel looked at the lady coming forward from behind the King. 'Who is she?' she thought, then she remembered, 'Yes she came before Maliana. I can barely remember her.'  
  
"Saesa omentien lle- Pleasure meeting you," Cutheniel said holding out her hand. 

Arethirien shook it and replied," Quel re- Good day."  
  
"Well come on Cutheniel, come inside," King Thranduil said putting his hand over her shoulder and guiding her towards the palace. Cutheniel slipped from under his arm and held her ground.  
  
"I don't want to stay inside the palace. I want to play outside with Legolas like I do everyday," Cutheniel said pouting.  
  
"Well I'm sorry Cutheniel, but things are going to change," he said taking hold of her wrist gently and walking her to the palace gate. Cutheniel dug her heels into the ground and looked back at Legolas in horror. " Tua- Help," she mouthed.  
  
Legolas ran up to her, grabbed her other wrist and pulled her away from his father.  
  
"Legolas," his father said turning to face him, his voice gentle, hoping that the two would understand. "Things have got to change. Cutheniel has to learn that it is dangerous for maidens to roam around in the woods." He peeled his son's fingers from Cutheniel's wrist and swung Cutheniel over his shoulder like a baby, patting her back comfortingly.  
  
"No!" she screamed, pounding her fists on to King Thranduil's back. Her eyes grew wide with horror and she gave up her tantrum. She stared sadly at Legolas who was waving back at her equally depressed. "No!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed again, resuming her tantrum, pounding her fists and thrashing her legs. " Let me go! Let me go! I don't want to stay in the palace!"  
  
"Kasumi," a disembodied voice called, "Kasumi, wake up!"  
  
Kasumi's eyes came into focus from her dream to find Manwein hovering over her with a worried look etched on his face.  
  
"Are you okay? You were just dreaming, everything is fine," he said comfortingly.  
  
"It was just a dream?" Kasumi asked rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Yes, everything is fine, you were having a tantrum," he said putting his hand on her shoulder.  
  
Kasumi sighed. 'It was a dream,' she thought, 'Just a dream.'  
  
"Do you feel okay Kasumi?" Manwein asked still worried.  
  
"I'm fine," she said dismissing her tantrum with a wave of her hand.  
  
"That's good," he said getting up from her bed. " Now rest some more. Tomorrow I think you'll be strong enough to get up."  
  
"Quel du- Good night," Kasumi said slipping back under the covers.  
  
"Tenna' tul're san' - Until tomorrow then," Manwein said exiting the room.  
  


"I wonder how Legolas is doing?" Kasumi whispered as she looked out the window before she slipped into dream.  
  
***************************************************************************************************  
  
Well I know nothing really happened in this chapter but I thought it would be better if you knew more about Cutheniel/Kasumi's past. Well next chapter will be set many years from the time this chapter is in. I don't feel like writing everyday of Cuth/Kasumi's life. Especially over a long time period. Well review please! Namarie- Farewell! 


	8. A Messenger

Kasumi awoke silently and sat up in her bed, it was still early morning and the sun had not yet risen. She got up and walked to the window, looking out at the top of the vast Mirkwood forest. Now after a year she had gotten what she had wanted all a long, freedom. 

She had lived in the willow with Manwein for a year and now they were like siblings, though Manwein "lost control" of himself occasionally, but recently he had acted very "controlled". She walked away from the window and sat on her dressing table chair, staring at her reflection. 

It was different than before, her eyes were no longer dark and somber, instead they shined brightly, like stars. She took her comb and untangled her unruly bed hair, it now reached down to her waist, so she braided it in many strands and wrapped it around the top of her head like a bun. She was shocked at how different it made her appear, she looked more elegant and dignified, just like they had wanted her to look like in the palace.

'No this will not do,' she said grabbing several braided strands and pulling them from her bun so that they hung out from the back. 'That's better.'

She got up and swung her cloak over her shoulders, approving her look once more in the mirror before stepping out of her room and dashing quietly down to the kitchen. She browsed through the pantries searching for something to cook for breakfast. She was amazed when she found a jar of fresh honey and a sack of flour.

'I wonder when Manwein got these?' she thought holding the jar in her hands. 'He probably visited a human village,' she said dismissing the thought with a wave of her hand as she set on making some sweet bread. 

After she slipped the bread into the fire-heated oven to bake she decided to take a walk outside to pick some fruit. She looked out the window, it was still a little dim, and Manwein wouldn't be up for a while, so she grabbed a sack and her knives and stepped outside.

It had been along time since the wolf attack, but she wasn't too worried. Only worried enough to bring several knives, but not worried enough to drag along her bow just for a little walk. She searched in several places for different types of edible berries, careful not to pick poisonous ones. 

When she was through she rushed back to the willow, hoping that Manwein had not woken yet. He hadn't, and she sighed thankfully as she entered. 

She dropped the sack of fruit on to the counter and checked on the bread. It was a perfect golden brown, like the color and texture of lembas. She pulled it out and set it on the table, hoping that the smell would not wake him too early.

She poured out the berries and glazed them with sugar water, but saved some to make some jam. The smell of the sweet bread and glazed fruit spread around the willow filling every crevice with a sweet, heavenly scent. 

She had just finished glazing the loaf with warm honey when Kasumi heard Manwein step down the stairs. 

"Good morning, Kasumi, what brings you up this early?" he said looking surprised at the food set out on the table.

"I just wanted to thank you," she said handing him a cup of freshly made tea.

"For what?" he asked sitting down.

"Everything, letting me stay here, providing me with food, and for being such a wonderful friend," she said, watching him turn away as his face flushed a light shade of red. Kasumi tried hard to suppress a giggle, but despite her efforts, it came out.

Manwein bowed his head and waited for it to turn back into its regular color. "You're welcome," he said turning back to face her. "It's been a pleasure to have you here."

Now it was Kasumi's turn to blush and the reaction took her by surprise. She turned away embarrassedly. 'What are you doing,' she thought to herself. 'Well whatever it is, stop it, before you lead him over the edge!' she told herself as she turned to face him again.

When they finished their meal Manwein got up and helped Kasumi get out of her chair.

"I can get myself out of my own chair!" she snapped before thinking.

Manwein backed away surprised and Kasumi thought of what she had done. 

"I'm sorry," she said regretting letting her rebellious, independent side take over her. 

"It's okay," he said no questions asked, even though after all these years she had never told him who she really was. She hadn't even told him of Legolas.

"Legolas," she whispered under her breath.

"What?" Manwein said staring at her confused.

Kasumi realized that she had sad the name aloud. "Nothing."

"You said a name, Legolas, what does that name mean to you?"

"Nothing, I met him before at the palace, and I just remembered him," she said quickly saving herself from telling Manwein what she really felt about Legolas, or not.

"If I'm not mistaken Legolas is the Prince of Mirkwood, is he not?" Manwein asked suspiciously.

"Last time I checked he was," Kasumi said cautiously trying not to slip into any traps.

Manwein looked her in the eyes and then dismissed the name with a wave of his hand. "Okay. Well, thank you Kasumi for that wonderful meal, it was greatly appreciated," he said stepping forward to hug her, he had learned over the year not to expect anything more, but this time he was surprised. When he put his arms around her, his cheek was met by Kasumi's warm lips. The small kiss left him standing there speechless. Though it was not her most used trait, making men speechless was one of her favorites.

She took one more look at him standing there shocked, before grabbing some parchment and an ink pen. "Manwein," she said waving her hand in front of his face. "Manwein!"

Manwein snapped back from his dreamlike trance and looked at Kasumi in star-struck awe. "Yes?" he asked.

"If you need me, I'll be outside sketching," she said walking towards the door.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. They both stared at the door suprised.

"Who..." Manwein whispered as Kasumi walked over to the curtained window. She pulled back the drapery and looked outside. 

Meanwhile…

Legolas rode into the palace courtyard with his father. They had just returned from their visit to Imladris, and he was eager to see Cutheniel again. As he halted is horse in front of the palace door, he was greeted by a very worried Maliana. 

"Your highness, may I speak to you privately," she said trying to cover up the urgency in her voice.

Legolas quickly dismounted and handed his horse over to an elf standing near by. "What is it," he asked the handmaiden as he followed her into the palace. They were the only ones that knew what had really happened to Cutheniel. 

"We received a letter from the King this morning."

"Yes, I saw him give it to a messenger. What did it say?"

Maliana paused to catch her breath for they were walking at a fast pace. "He ordered the captain to send out soldiers to look for Cutheniel."

"Did he send the messengers?" the Prince asked worriedly.

Maliana nodded her head, "They set off as soon as the captain received the message."

Legolas became angry, "But I told my father not to send soldiers out looking for her until I searched for her myself!"

"Well they were sent. But do you not know where she is?"

"I don't know exactly, but I have seen her once, before we went out to fight the growing orc population."

"Then maybe you can find her before they do and warn her. She would be furious if she were brought back to the palace by soldiers."

"Yes, you're right. But can you cover for me?" he asked her as they stopped in front of his quarters.

"I will. I will tell your father that you are out exploring."

"Thank you Maliana, you are a very loyal friend."

"You're welcome your Highness," she said curtsying. 

Legolas dismissed her and watched her walk down the hall. He walked back out to the front of the palace and into the woods. 

***************************************************************************************************

Who is at the door? Will Legolas be able to warn Cutheniel/Kasumi in time? Will Manwein find out her secret? Find out in the next chapter of Jaded. 

Thank you for all the reviews! I live off them! So is it good so far? I except questions, suggestions, etc. on reviews, but if they're long email them to me. Hey can anyone guess how old I am? HINT: I'm somewhere between 10-20.

Now to answer questions and comments:

Lady Rheena; Well you know that King Thranduil is like a parent, and whenever they're worried they show it by being a bit nasty (in the child's eyes of course) but the parent thinks it's for the child's on good.

Estriel Laureatinwe; Vala: is angelic power; a Valar: is a male god; a Valier: is a female goddess. Does that help?

Critic; 'Diola lle' is elfish, I think it's Sindarin, I got it from the the grey-elves if you want to see it go to http://www.grey-company.org/Language/ 

For your second comment; Kasumi is a japanese I got it from my favorite character on Dead or Alive 3 on Xbox, she is also a run away in that game, so I thought it would be appropriate.

Namaarie!


	9. Love and Betrayal

This chapter is where a little of that PG-13 kicks in. It's a little "romancie", But not to the extreme. Just kissing, and thoughts that's as far as it goes, kay? Don't kill me!

***************************************************************************************************

Kasumi gasped; outside the willow stood a royal messenger-the seal on his tunic showed that he was sent by King Thranduil. 

"Oh no," she uttered quietly trying to think of what to do. She turned to Manwein. "Manwein I need you to do me a favor, I will explain why later but it is urgent that you do this for me without asking why until later."

Manwein nodded.

"Diolla lle. I need you to answer the door and pretend I was never here, you have never seen or heard of me. Could you do that?"

Manwein nodded again.

"Thank you," she said again as she ran quickly up the stairs and into her room.

Manwein confused, walked awkwardly to the door and opened it casually. "May I help you?" he asked the guard.

"Yes, have you seen an elf maiden around here? About this tall," he said raising his hand just a little under the height of Manwein's nose. "Long brown tresses and dark brown eyes."

Manwein shook his head at every detail.

"She has a fair complexion and is quite warrior-like, wearing a tunic and trousers. Have you seen a maiden like which I have described?"

"No I am sorry. I have not," Manwein said sincerely.

"Well please look out for her. King Thranduil is placing a reward on this maiden's safe return to the palace."

"Well I will look out for a maiden like such," Manwein said, then asked honestly curious, 

"What is this fair maiden's name?"

"Her name is Cutheniel."

"Have you met her before?" Manwein asked even more curious. 'I might as well make the most out of this favor,' he told himself silently.

"Yes I have indeed. At a banquet, she is very beautiful," he said as if entranced and continued. "I thought at first that she was a Valier in disguise. I inquired the Prince – Legolas, he is a close childhood friend of hers, about her, he said that I was almost right. He confined to me that she was sent by a Valier as a gift to Arda, but that I was not to tell her, or anyone else, and that he had only told me because I am one of their highest ranked captains. Hence her loveliness, he seems quite attracted to her though, the Prince, but so is just about every other male elf in the entire court and outside in the village, I have heard them talk about her. 

They saw her a lot they did, the village people. She always went out to walk, she used to always be accompanied by the Prince but he has become busy, working for his father. It seems to distress her as much as it distresses him," The guard quickly remembered his duty and stopped. "Pardon me, sir. I seemed to have jabbered much too long. Well please look out for her," he said again bowing his head in pardon.

"Yes I will," Manwein said as the messenger walked away back into the woods. He closed the door and headed up for Kasumi's, or was it Cutheniel's, room?

She was peering out the window watching the messenger run back out into the forest and she turned to him as he entered the room. He was looking forward to this explanation.

They both sat down on the edge of the bed. "Well, umm…you see…" Cutheniel started confused on how she would start. "As I think you already know, I am not Kasumi, and yes I am Cutheniel. I'm missing because I ran away, as you already know from what I told you earlier."

Manwein nodded in understanding.

"What else would you like to know?" she asked hoping that he was satisfied with that explanation. He wasn't.

"Why did you run away, I mean you lived in a palace."

"Because I couldn't do anything. I used to be able to go outside but then the King foreboded me from going on walks. So I had to sneak out, but then he found out and my guards were doubled."

He nodded in an 'I see' fashion. "Okay. Is there anything else I need to know about you, Cutheniel?"

Cutheniel knew that now was the best time to tell him about Legolas, but she just couldn't get it out. She shook her head. "No," She bowed her head like a child who just got caught lying.

"Do not fret Cutheniel, I am not angry with you. You did what you had to do for protection, I understand." He said putting his hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him and smiled. Manwein blushed lightly and Cutheniel smiled wider. He looked grown but sometimes he acted like a little child, which always made Cutheniel smile.

His hand on her shoulder started to quiver. He wanted to do something but he knew he couldn't, ever since the first incident he knew he couldn't. But the longing was growing inside him again and she could tell.

Cutheniel got up and his hand plopped onto the bed. She shook her head solemnly and he lowered his face and stared at the ground. 

"I'm going to go for a walk, is that all right with you?" she asked.

Manwein looked up and nodded.

What happened next surprised Cutheniel more than it did Manwein; she did not know what had caused it. She bent down, pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him-not on the forehead, but on the lips. It lasted longer than Cutheniel had thought it would and she wasn't sure if it was because of her or Manwein. 

When she finally stood up Manwein was in the utmost shock. He sat there staring at her surprised and confused.

She walked to the door quietly and looked back at him as she left. His face showed that he was disappointed that that incident was over and that he wanted it to come again, and for some strange reason, something inside her wished that too.

***Meanwhile*** 

Legolas ran zigzagging past the trees searching for the spot where he last met Cutheniel. The thought of seeing her again urged him to go faster. He stopped at the spot that looked most familiar to him and listened to the trees. She had been there, a little before him. 

It was funny how trees spoke, their words echo past your ears and if you're lucky you hear it all before it is swept away with the wind. 

She had not moved far from the place he had stopped. He did not exactly see her but he heard her. She was up in a tree singing. He climbed up the tree quietly.

'It is just like her to not only find the tallest tree', he whispered through clenched teeth. 'But to climb all the way to the top.' 

He was so anxious to see her that he was not cautious in the way he ascended. He accidentally kicked down several leaves and broken a couple of branches before he was right under her. 

Cutheniel stopped singing and looked down at him. "Ah," she said amusedly. "The warrior wishes to join me, but I fear that the tree will grow angry at your poor skill of climbing, and that your father will punish you for your recklessness." She laughed cheerfully.

Legolas climbed all the way up and brushed the leaves from his face. "Yes, dear Lady. I am happy to see you too," he replied sarcastically.

"Do not get me wrong my love, I am very happy to see you. Especially after so long. How was your journey?" she asked smiling at the return of her Prince.

Legolas was surprised at the way she had addressed him, she had opened up in her time away from the palace, and she was freer.

"I am glad you are happy to see me," he said relieved. "My journey was pleasant, Rivendell was beautiful. I will take you there sometime if my father allows it. My father counseled with Elrond, and he got the rest he needed. I am glad too, for he really seemed to be getting gray, but now he is fine."

"I am glad to hear that."

Legolas remembered why he had rushed to see her. "My father sent messengers out to look for you. I promise, I told him not to, but he sent word to them before we arrived back."

"Yes I know," she said placidly.

"Did they see you?"

"No they did not. I remained hidden as they passed," she said

Legolas sighed relieved. "Come," he said. "Let us walk." He descended down the tree, more careful then earlier.

She followed him and they both met down on the ground. 

Legolas began to laugh and Cutheniel asked why. He gestured that she had pine needles in her hair, and laughed more as she failed to get them out. He stepped closer to her and one-by-one pulled them out.

Cutheniel looked up at him as he did so and something inside her fluttered as she noticed how close he was standing in front of her. For some reason unknown to Cutheniel-maybe 'elfin hormones' kicking in- she felt strange standing so close to him as she was.

Something Maliana told her came to her mind right then. Maliana had always liked talking to her about the 'other sex', Cutheniel had always asked her to just call them males but she ignored her. Maliana had always been greatly attracted to them and was quite the flirt. Even though the information was useless to her, Cutheniel listened to what she said anyway, probably in courtesy. 

Her mind quoted exactly what Maliana had said the day she was out picking apples in the garden. 'I was minding my business picking apples, when I notice an 'other' standing near me reading a book under the tree next to mine. He was very handsome and I could tell he was trying to ignore me. So I asked him nicely if he could please reach the apple I wanted which was higher than my reach but possible for him to grab. He said okay and stood next to me to grab the apple. We were a little too close for comfort and he noticed and I noticed. He didn't show in his face he noticed, but I could tell.'

I had told her a hundred times after she said that that she greatly disgusted me, but she paid no attention to me and that ended our conversation right there.

After she quoted Maliana, Cutheniel became disgusted with herself. 'Why are you thinking that?' she asked herself.

She noticed that Legolas was done pulling leaves out of her hair, but he was still standing close to her. She looked up at him and stared at him waiting for him to back away. He did not. However, what surprised her more was that neither did she.

It was Legolas' turn to surprise himself now and it came as a shock to them both. He swiftly put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him. With one hand he brought her arms around his neck and began to move in a dance-like step. 

"When was the last time you danced Cutheniel," he asked her.

"Not in a while, you know I stopped a long time ago. I disliked dancing with people I barely knew."

He stopped dancing and they both stared at each other silently.

* Meanwhile *

Manwein stepped out of the willow worriedly. Cutheniel had been out for a long time- hours it seemed- or maybe he just missed her, but he really wanted her to come back right now; he wanted to ask her something. He rushed into the forest in the direction that she had gone as he had watched her leave. He followed her lightly imprinted footprints and stopped as he heard talking.

Laughing reached his ears, it was a warrior's voice and a confused 'what?' came afterward. The 'what' had sounded familiar, it was Cutheniel.

He walked to where the sounds came from and stopped and hid behind a tree on the edge of a small clearing. He looked at the two elves standing there, and he was correct. One of them was Cutheniel and the other because of his bow and arrows was most likely a warrior. They seemed well acquainted and that annoyed him greatly. He watched angrily as the warrior put his arms around her waist. He knew Cutheniel did not belong to him, but Manwein was still very angry with the warrior for touching her. He watched as her arms were wrapped around his neck and they began to dance. They stopped and stared at each other for some time. 

"Legolas," he heard Cutheniel whisper before the warrior bent down to kiss her.

Manwein gripped the trunk of the tree to prevent him from jumping out to stop them. 

'Legolas,' he thought. 'Is that not the Prince? Yes it is, the messenger talked about him. Greatly attracted to her indeed! What does he think he is doing? But then again she might be attracted to him too.' 

He bowed his head and let go of the tree. 'That is why she avoids what I do,' he thought beginning to understand her reactions to his lust.

He turned to head back to the willow and stared back at the two elves one more time.

One of Cutheniel's eyes were open and she spotted Manwein behind the tree, they made I contact for a second but then the kiss stopped and she looked back at Legolas.

He ran back to the willow, but then changed his mind and ran deeper into the forest.

"I must go," Legolas said letting go of Cutheniel's waist. "I have already stayed too long. Farewell Cutheniel. I will see you soon!"

"Goodbye Legolas!" she said a she hugged him goodbye. She watched and waved as he ran back into the forest. 

When he was out of sight she remembered Manwein and dreaded having to explain it to him. She ran in the direction she had seen him leave and searched for any trace of him. When she was sure Legolas was far out of earshot she called out his name hoping that he would stop and come to her. Manwein did not.

***************************************************************************************************

Will Manwein understand what Cutheniel has to tell him?

Will she ever find him?

Why am I asking all the questions?

Well, if you have any questions review and tell me, if you have any comments review and tell me, if you like it so far review and tell me, if you dislike something review and tell me, if you don't have any of the above review any way and tell me what you think of it.

Please, you know you want to. Oh come on, press the review button. Press it!!!!! Okay, I'm fine; just got a little carried away. Well, please review! Namaarie!

~ Cutheniel Yavadren ~


	10. Captured

Okay this chapter is exciting. What a lot of you have been waiting for, but for waiting patiently you have been rewarded. This chapter and many of the next ones will be all adventure, drama, angst, and action. So I hope you're happy, because I wouldn't write it if I knew it would bore you. But if it does just tell me and I'll make it a lot more exciting.

***********************************************************************************************************************

Cutheniel called out to Manwein, but the only thing that returned was her echo. She stood there for a while, thinking of what she should do. 

'I can't go after him like this, without my weapons. It would be too dangerous. But if I go to the willow, by the time I get back here again, he could already be several leagues away.'

She stood there amused at an ironic thought; elves were made to run fast, so they could run after their enemy and would be able to catch them, or so they could runaway and not be captured. That was an advantage. But the disadvantage here was that the person running, and the person chasing were both elves. So it was like a dog chasing his tail, he could only run into either side of him if he stopped. 

So Cutheniel had to hope that Manwein's anger would drain his energy and he would stop to rest. 

Meanwhile she would have to go back to the willow to retrieve her weapons and maybe her belongings as well, just in case.

As she walked back toward the willow she hoped that not only Manwein's energy wearied, but his anger as well. She needed him to sit still while she explained. But first she had to find out how to explain.

When she got to the willow she opened the door- the willow had learned to recognize her and opened up automatically when she stood before it.

She sprinted up the stairs into her room where she collected all her belongings: her cloak, bag, extra clothes and her sack of food, which she had not even touched over the years. She threw out the apples and all the other food contents, except for the lembas-it could stay good for a long time.

She put all her knives back in their sheaths, hidden all over her body: a small dagger in her right boot, her longest knife in a sheath on her belt, an average sized knife in a sheath attached to her quiver, and her favorite one, which had not been given to her by Legolas. 

It was hers; it was given as a gift to her from an elderly elf. He did not look old at all, but his eyes showed it, they were wise beyond the years of any mortal man, and stored a great amount of knowledge even for an immortal being. He had given it to her when she was walking at the edge of the forest by the village. He had been carrying many antique items into the back of his cottage and she could see that he was overwhelmed by his burden. She had helped him move all his items into his home and he was very grateful. 

He let her in and allowed her to pick one thing from his vast amounts of treasure. She had found the knife there; its blade was long and thin. About half an inch wide on the flat side and one sixteenth of an inch wide on the other side. It was a foot and a half long and had a slender hilt. Tied around the edge of the hilt closest to the blade were two silk ribbons, one blue and one red. It could easily slice one's arm off if used correctly, and could be harmless if used the wrong way. It had taken her a long time to master its full potential. 

She held it for a moment and shook it up and down a bit and watched the blade wiggle in several waves. Then she placed it in its slender sheath at the back of her belt.

She picked up her bow, secured her quiver and pack on her shoulder and stepped out. Hoping that Manwein hadn't gone too far in the ten minutes she had spent collecting her things.

Running she retraced her steps and then followed Manwein's trail. Just as she had suspected he had stopped several times, though only for a short amount of time, to regain his energy. His anger had drained him quickly, and Cutheniel guessed that he did not know that being angry while one is running only drains energy and that one should wait until he or she has reached their destination to let out their anger. But it was to her advantage so she did not complain.

Soon she came along his tracks, which were only several minutes old, she was catching up. But soon while she was following Manwein's trail a familiar smell reached her nose, and soon she could see the creatures' footprints as well. Orcs. Lots of them. 

They had run into Manwein, and she could make out where they caught him. Manwein had struggled a lot, turned around only to find more orcs, and then tried to defend himself against them. He had soon given up; he deemed it too precarious to try to fight of all of these orcs and had just given up. 

She followed their prints until she heard several voices talking, first talking in the Black Speech, and then in the Common Tongue. She climbed into a tree, peered down and saw several orcs crowded around a figure sitting on a stump, the figure was Manwein and they were interrogating him.

"What were you doing running so deep in the forest?" the largest one asked. 

Manwein sat there silently and winced as the captain slapped him with the back of his disfigured hand. He remained silent and stared at the ground. The orc grew angry and struck him powerfully. The blow caused Manwein to whimper lightly in pain, and Cutheniel could see that his cheek was badly bruised. 

'Manwein,' she whispered aloud by accident, hoping the orcs did not hear her express her grief. 

They hadn't and she sat in the tree watching them ask Manwein more questions, but he still did not answer.

Suddenly a large hand came over her mouth and the other grabbed he by the waist and she kicked at her captor, as it pulled her roughly down the tree. She was shoved into the clearing by the large orc and the captain grunted amused.

"Ah, another elf has decided to grace us with its presence. I knew he was not alone," he stepped closer to her and took her chin into his slimy hand and tilted it up to get a better look at her. He snorted and laughed. "This one is a maiden."

The rest of the orcs laughed loudly and slapped each on the back, each one wildly amused. But Manwein just stared at her, and amazingly his stare was neither cold nor angry, but worried. She smirked at him trying to look smug and shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, 'That didn't go exactly the way I planned.'

He smiled back warmly and seemed to forgive her for the time being, until she could fully explain what had happened earlier. He could never really stay mad at her for long, and in fact he could never really be mad at her in the first place, he was always mad at himself.

The captain turned back to her. "Now what is fair maiden like you doing out here in the dangerous forest, you could get hurt," he teased. Cutheniel angrily spat in his face, she hated when people thought she could not defend herself because she was a girl. He swiped the spit off his face with the back of his hand. "This one is feisty," he said amused even more by her spunk. 

He turned to his fellow orcs. "Tie their hands. We'll take them back to camp, and then bring them to the dark wizard. He will be very pleased."

Cutheniel stared at Manwein as the orcs tied both their wrists behind their backs. He stared back, and she could sense fear in his eyes. He hadn't encountered orcs since his village was burned down and that incident had traumatized his life. 

The orcs walked in a line with their prisoners in the middle. The ones on the side carried large sticks with which they sometimes whacked Cutheniel and Manwein's legs if they went to slow.

They led them for many miles through the forest and by the time they arrived at the orcs' camp the sun was long gone and their legs were so wounded that some of their lesions drew blood.

While Cutheniel and Manwein rested on the damaged bedrolls that were given to them only because they were useless to the orcs because of their condition, they listened to the conversation the captain and his closest official were having by the fire.

Though she could hear all of it, Cutheniel could only understand snippets of their conversation. But they were not simply prating; they were discussing what they would do with their prisoners. She heard the word _snaga_, which meant 'slave', and she made out something that sounded like, 'or give to dark master'.

So they had a master, and she assumed that this 'master' was not an orc, but a dark wizard, from what she had heard them say ere their arriving at camp.

"Can you understand what they're saying?" Manwein asked scooting over to sit next to Cutheniel.

"Partly," she said turning to face him. "They're debating if they should keep us for slaves, or if they should give us to their master. I think, I'm not sure exactly, but I don't think their master is an orc. I've heard them call him a wizard several times, so he might be human." She stared at him silently for a while, hoping that he had forgotten what had happened; though she knew he did not.

"That was the Prince, earlier today. Was it not?" he asked slipping carefully into the dreaded subject.

Cutheniel bowed her head, stared at the ground, and nodded. "Yes, it was," she said playing with the laces on her long boots.

"So…you've known each other long?" 

Cutheniel untied the laces of her right boot. "Yes, since we were young."

Manwein waited for a while then asked nervously, "Have you liked each other long?"

Cutheniel thought about it for a moment as she began to tie her bootlaces again. "I am not sure about him, but I've… well I've liked him ever since I came of age."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" he asked, his voice gentle, not wanting her to think he was angry, because he was not. 

Cutheniel tied the top of her bootlaces into a knot, so that the remaining laces dangled down to where the laces started up. "Because I could tell, since the first day that you felt, you know… that way about me, and I didn't want you to get hurt, though I knew waiting longer to tell you would hurt you more. But I thought I could hide it from you, and I did for some time." 

Manwein looked at her face, her eyes were too preoccupied with looking down at the laces she was tying on her left boot, and he could see that she was scared to look at him. He stared at her staring at her laces for some time, until the quiet was shattered as the captain orc stomped over to them.

"You two," he grunted loudly. Surprised Manwein jerked his eyes from Cutheniel and Cutheniel jerked her eyes up from her laces. The two stared at the orc waiting for him to tell them what he had to say. "You to will get your rations tomorrow, and don't expect a feast. We will only feed you once a day and if you do not walk fast enough I will eat your rations myself. My troop and I need to get where we're going a soon as possible and I do not want you two slowing us down. If you do not like this arrangement, tell me now and I'll kill you right here."

They remained silent. "Good. Now go to sleep, or however you strange elves rest. My troop has been marching a great distance before we captured you and they need to rest as well. Don't' try to run away though, I'll assure you that I've already appointed a guard to watch you two," before he walked away he kicked both of them in the stomach and laughed as he watched them flinch. 

They crawled into their separate tattered bedrolls, and the two silently watched some of the orcs that were still awake.

Three of them were sitting near the fire spitting into its flames. One large spew sent the flames crackling wildly, causing a spark to hit the one of the orc's nose. The other two laughed so hard that they fell over.

Cutheniel turned away from them and looked at Manwein, who had been staring at her. "_Amin feuyaten'ron_- They disgust me," she said as she turned to look up at the starry sky.

Manwein looked up as well, but there was still a question lingering in his head. He propped his body on one shoulder and turned to her. "Cutheniel…"

Cutheniel tilted her face toward him; she was too tired to sit up so she remained lying down. "Yes?"

"Before you left to go on that walk. That kiss…did you mean it?" 

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"Well I know you meant to do it, but did you mean it, you know. Did you kiss me because it seemed like the right thing to do or because you wanted to?" After he asked this he looked down and blushed, embarrassed.

"Well, yes I did. And it was longer than I thought it would be. I don't even know if it was you or me, who extended it," she laughed light-heartedly. "But I think because you were so shocked, it was most likely me."

"Really?" he asked, his boyish side kicking in again, which like it was guaranteed to, made her smile.

"Yes really. Now go to sleep before they hear us talking," she watched as he slipped back into the bedroll she sat up and spontaneously kissed Manwein on the forehead. Then astonished she lay back down and looked at the sky.

"What was that for?" she heard him ask.

"I don't know. Does there have to be a reason?" she said smiling.

"I guess not." Suddenly Manwein seemed to grow up in an instant, and was no longer the young warrior who still acted like a love-struck, little boy. But a young, love-struck warrior who acted his own age. He turned to Cutheniel who was staring at the stars and took his forefinger and stroked Cutheniel's ear up to its pointy tip. Then he began to play with her hair, wrapping and unwrapping it around his forefinger. 

She stared at him perplexed as he palpated her locks. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'What could it hurt? Legolas will not find out, he is stuck in the palace. And he has had many lady friends; he has even made love to many of them. Am I not allowed to have a male friend? I am not bedding with him anyway, what could it hurt?' She smiled and pulled Manwein's hand away from her hair. She held it in hers, and he looked at her bewildered. 

"What could it hurt?" she said slyly. 

Manwein smiled and replied, "Nothing."

She turned her back to Manwein and he put his hand on her waist. 'Curse elfin hormones,' she thought humorously. 'Of all times they kick in when I'm in the middle of a crisis,' she silently giggled, and fell into dream, with not a shred of guilt in her mind. A saying from Maliana entered her dreams. 'All's fair in love and war,' she had said to Cutheniel and they had both started laughing. She was not cheating against Legolas; he had done this many times before anyhow. He was growing and he was older than she was and his lust was not easily satiated. Now she was growing and her lust needed to be fed before it grew insatiable.

*************************************************************************************************************************** 

Well less happened in that chapter then I had reckoned. Oh well, it's summer vacation, and I'll have lots of time to write the other chapters, esp. since I'm grounded and can't watch t.v. So writing is really the only thing I can do, lol.

Well there will be a lot more excitement. Don't worry. Ha! Elfin hormones! Lol! Sorry I couldn't help putting that. By the way do elves have hormones? Someone please review and tell me. 

Any takers on how old I am? I'm in between 10 and 20. ElVeNdEsTiNy don't answer that cause you already know. And no asking her for the answer. The first person to guess it correctly will get a cameo appearance in the fic! Your very own character! You even get choose how he/she looks like, what part they play in the story, and what you want them to do. I'll email you if you win and ask you some questions about how you want your character to be. I'll announce the winner in the 12 and that person's character will be introduced in the 13 chapter. So review and guess. Only one guess per reviewer, please to minimize confusion.

So review, review, and review again! I love reviews! Come on press the button, you know you want to. Well, Namaarie! 

~ Cutheniel Yavadren ~


	11. Strange Meanings

Okay. Cutheniel and Manwein are captured by orcs and elfin hormones happen to kick in at the orc camp. How amusing. Well this chapter is 'more work and less play', or so to say. 

********************************************************************************

Cutheniel awoke with a hard poke to her ribs from the toe of a leather boot. 

"Wake up now or I will not feed you. You two are lucky that my master wants to see you, or I would kill you right now. Get up!" he kicked her again and Cutheniel held her side as she struggled to get up, her legs still hurt from the many whacks she had received yesterday by the long stick the orcs had hit her with.

She pulled he hem of her trouser legs up to examine the wounds on her legs. There were mostly just bruises but some wounds had a cover of dried blood. She quickly pulled her pant legs down when she heard the captain orc grunt angrily from the fire.

"Wake up your friend too," he said in a huff as he kicked at lumps of orcs still in their bedrolls. 

Cutheniel clutched Manwein's hand, and shook it gently. She rolled over and shook him carefully. She did not shake him hard, for the day before he had received most of the whacking, he had been tired already because of running away, and was probably still tired. She brushed his hair away from his face and kissed his cheek. "Manwein, wake up," she whispered in his ear.

Manwein stirred and stared up at her. "What?"

"Get up, quickly," she said helping him prop himself up. She got up and signaled for Manwein to do the same before the orc captain became enraged. They walked uncertainly over and around sleeping lumps over to the fire.

They stood and watched as a smaller orc approached the captain.

"Gnashuk! Gnashuk!" it called to the captain as he scrambled to reach the massive orc.

He turned- annoyed- to the insignificant, little orc. "What is it?!"

The jumpy orc paused to catch its breath before answering. "A band of (breath) dark elves (breath) several leagues away (breath) saw the smoke from the fire (breath) coming (breath) here," he finished and inhaled deeply.

Gnashuk cursed in furiously as he ordered his troop to get up immediately and pack up. "You two," he yelled at Cutheniel and Manwein standing there. "Fold your bedrolls, hurry up! You'll be lucky if you live to get your rations! Hustle!"

The two elves rushed to where they had slept and quickly rolled up their blankets and tied them tight. They gripped them and stood awaiting further orders from the panicking captain. 

Soon everything was gathered and all the orcs were standing awaiting their orders from Gnashuk. "This way!" he said pointing opposite the way the elves were coming. 

Cutheniel and Manwein followed gratefully. Both of them had heard about the dark elves from many stories. They were said to be brutal to their prisoners and had no mercy to anyone who was not their kind. They were even known to kill other elves that were not 'dark or evil'. So they both followed, they could have run faster but were ordered to run in the same pace as the orcs. 

They had run many leagues non-stop, when finally Gnashuk ordered his troops to stop. He ordered Manwein to climb up a tree to see where the dark elves were. For he trusted that Manwein would not leave if the orcs still had the maiden, who the warrior seemed quite attached to, which was an advantage to the captain, for one would not leave the other. 

Manwein rushed quickly up the firtree all the way to the topmost branches where he looked for the band of elves. He looked out into the vast green sea and watched as the leaves rippled and were like waves in the water. He could not see the elves under the leaves of the hundreds of trees but he could faintly hear them. They were back at the orcs' camp many leagues away and he listened as they debated whether to follow the orcs or head back to where they had come. He reckoned that they had decided to head back and listened as faint footsteps walked away, he paid little heed to the fact that it seemed like the number of foot steps had decreased. He scrambled back down and when he reached the ground rushed to Cutheniel's side.

Gnashuk gave an ugly grin. 'Yes he is very attached to her, as long as we have her we have him, good,' he thought evilly. Then he asked him what he had seen or heard.

"They were at the camp and are now heading back toward where they had come from," Manwein said, nervously shifting from foot to foot hoping that his information was sufficient.

"Good. We will continue in this direction," Gnashuk ordered and watched his company run out into the direction he had pointed to. He stood there and followed the last of his troop and brought up the rear. 

Soon rations were passed around to be eaten while the company moved. When Manwein and Cutheniel received their share of smoked meat and stale bread they grimaced at it in disgust. Manwein leaned over to Cutheniel. "From what animal does this meat belong to?" he asked appalled. 

She shrugged and sniffed it. "I don't want to find out," she said after examining it.

Suddenly they were whacked brutally on the back of their legs with a large oak rod. Cutheniel staggered and Manwein stumbled. Cutheniel quickly caught Manwein and helped him catch his balance. 

"If you will not eat your rations you will not have anything eat, so eat your rations or don't! I will have no more complaints from the two of you!" the orc beside them said as he shook the oak rod at them.

They abandoned their rations, giving them to the orc who had reprimanded them, and were walking hungry and tired.

Suddenly Cutheniel remembered her pack. It was hanging conspicuously next to her quiver. The orcs hadn't seen it; it had slipped un-noticed under their slimy noses. She grinned triumphantly.

Manwein stared at her confused, they were captives of a band of orcs, they had no food, they were tired, they were hurt, and she was smiling. "What are you so happy about?" he asked curious about what had made her so happy in a time of great chaos. 

She silently pointed to her pack hanging in plain sight on her shoulder. The empty headed fools hadn't seen it! 

He watched as she pulled out a pack of lembas and broke it in fourths giving him a piece and taking one for herself as she put the remaining half back in the pack. 

They hid the waybread in their hands and silently nibbled on it. Becoming stronger as it nourished their bodies and gave them more energy.

Manwein nipped at the sweet bread when out of the corner of his eye he saw the orc next to him sniff the air curiously. He had smelled the lembas. Manwein quickly turned to Cutheniel who was consuming her share slowly and contently and he stuffed the waybread into his mouth and he signaled her to do the same. Though confused, Cutheniel obeyed and they both swallowed down the lembas. 

As they were licking the remaining crumbs from their mouths, they heard Gnashuk order the troop to stop. He walked toward them with the orc who smelled the lembas following closely behind.

"Who's waybread did Shatnug smell?" Gnashuk asked enraged.

But before she could answer, Cutheniel heard Manwein say, "It was mine. I had some in my pockets." 

Cutheniel stared at him in disbelief and then in anger. He had self-volunteered to become her scapegoat. And now he would take the blame and suffer the punishment. "No," Cutheniel silently mouthed while Gnashuk's back was turned. 

Manwein stared at her sternly, sending the message that he did not want her to suffer the punishment and that she should say nothing and let him take the blame.

Gnashuk ordered him to remove his tunic and stand still while Shatnug fetched the rod. 

Cutheniel placed her hand on the hilt of her longest knife. But there was no hilt, there was no knife, the sheath was empty. She shook her quiver slightly, but there was no rattle of her bow and arrows in her quiver it was empty. They had taken her weapons while she was sleeping!

She looked down at her right boot, she sighed relieved. They had not seen her dagger. She raised her hand to touch the hidden sheath on her quiver; the knife was still there. 'Oh no,' she thought her favorite knife was not hidden, they probably took it as well. She reached back to the slender sheath. 'Thank you,' she thought assured. Her knife was still in its sheath. Gnashuk had probably thought it was harmless.

As Gnashuk raised the rod over Manwein Cutheniel grasped Brethil's hilt-she had come up with its name while she was walking pondering over the issue before they received their rations. It meant silver birch' she thought it was proper, for the blade was slender and strong like a birch twig. But it of course was not wood, it was mithril, hence 'silver birch' - and pulled it out. 

She advanced at Gnashuk and several seconds before Brethil's blade could have sliced through the orc's filthy neck, Cutheniel was jerked back by several orcs. They gripped her arms and she struggled to come free. 

Gnashuk stuck Manwein powerfully and Manwein winced in pain, but did not make a sound. 'Scream already,' Cutheniel thought. 'Scream and he'll stop. If you scream you give up and he'll be satisfied.' But she knew he would not, he was too stubborn to give up and admit defeat. In fact all the elves she knew where too stubborn to give up and admit defeat, including her. But she could not blame him it was elfin nature to not want to give up.

She turned her head; it was painful to watch Manwein hold his ground despite the powerful blows to his bare back. She flinched at the sound of the oak rod hitting his back. She tried closing her eyes but her imagination just made the vision worse. 

She opened her eyes and watched as Manwein finally fell, without making a sound. She squirmed in the slimy hands of the orcs and whimpered as she tried to break free from their tenacious grip. 

Cutheniel watched in horror as blood trickled down Manwein's back and dripped onto his discarded tunic. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks and she tried hard to sob but nothing would come out.

Finally Gnashuk nodded to her captors to let her go. She dashed to Manwein's writhing body and hugged him placing her arms carefully around his neck, not wanting to bring him more pain by touching the cuts. She let go of him and commanded him to keep still as she examined his wounds. She patted his lesions with his tunic so that the blood would not dry on his back. 

Manwein merely inhaled sharply when he could not stand the pain and did not make a sound. He sat there listening to the orcs unpack their loads and set up camp. 

When the tunic was too soaked to absorb anymore blood Cutheniel discarded it into the fire. She ordered one of the smaller orcs to get her some warm water. And in several minutes he returned with a pot of warm water. She took a thin cotton blanket out of her pack-she had taken it from the palace- and used Brethil to cut a small square from the large sheet. She dipped it in the water and used it to clean Manwein's cuts.

He winced several times as she cleaned the deepest cuts but remained still for the most part. After his wounds were cleansed, Cutheniel once again used Brethil to cut the sheet into long strips and used them to bandage Manwein's lesions. She did not mind doctoring Manwein, he had taken care of her as well and she owed it to him. 

She then looked at his ratty bloodstained tunic; it was way too pitiful to even imagine someone wearing it. She searched through her pack, doubtful that she would find anything that would fit Manwein and not look ridiculous. 

Surprisingly she found a tunic several sizes larger than hers, it was given to her by Legolas-she had slipped into a pond and was soaked so he let her borrow his, though he had to walk around topless until they returned to the palace. 

She slipped it over Manwein's head and in fact it fit him perfectly, she had never realized that he and Legolas where practically the same size, she had never seen them both at the same time together and she hoped she would never have to.

Manwein looked at the tunic baffled it wasn't a simple tunic like what he wore, it was bluish silver and it seemed to shine lightly and more surprisingly it was his size. "Where'd you get this?" he asked curious.

"It was given to me. I was chasing a friend of mine and I slipped in mud hidden under the grass and I fell into a pond," she said laughing.

Manwein started to laugh as well but winced and inhaled sharply as a piercing pain shot through his back.

Suddenly a loud whistling of an arrow reached their ears, they glanced at the orcs making camp and became alert as they saw that the arrow had struck an orc and it fell to the ground, its dark blood soaking the forest floor. 

They quickly scrambled up and Cutheniel supported Manwein and they scurried to the edge of the clearing. Behind them they heard a shout, ordering one of the elves to catch them. 

Soon a hand grabbed Cutheniel's arm and yanked her and Manwein back into the clearing. 

The quick scramble up and their rush to escape left Manwein feeling lightheaded and he went to prop himself against a tree. The guard did not care; Manwein was clearly injured and would not be able to escape. But he was not sure about the maiden so he kept his hold on her.

Cutheniel jerked her arm in the direction of Manwein and her guard followed her-his hand never leaving her arm- over to Manwein. She stood beside Manwein whose head was propped against the trunk of tree with his eyes closed. His breathing was shallow, but she did not worry much, for elves healed quickly.

She turned to watch the battle in the clearing; many of the orcs were already down. Dark elves were very skilled warriors, there were fifteen of them, including the one that kept a tenacious hold on her arm. 

She continued to watch as the warriors sliced the orcs by the throat one-by-one. Gnashuk was the last one to be struck down and she smiled as his filthy body slid of the end of a warrior's sword.

One elf that seemed to have authority over the others ordered ten of them to join back up with the rest of the company. The remaining four walked over to their comrade and the captives. All five of them looked simultaneously at Cutheniel then at Manwein propped against the tree, and then back at Cutheniel. 

They looked at her in astonishment, never had they seen a maiden quite like this. Her attire consisted of a custom made tunic that laced from the back, a pair of feminine trousers, boots made of strong, light leather that reached up under her knees, and were tightly laced, and wrist gauntlets made from the same leather. Her hair was untidy and her face was covered in dirt. 

She carried an empty quiver and from her belt hung an empty sheath. Barely noticeable was a dagger, hidden at the top of her right boot, and an average sized knife tucked into a sheath in her empty quiver. Swinging on the back of her belt was a slender sheath containing a thin, narrow blade, which looked harmless.

But despite her unsightly garments, the maiden was beautiful.

Cutheniel stood there not knowing why they were staring at her, she guessed that it was because that they were deciding if they should behead her, or torture her slowly. She was too scared to look into their eyes to see what they were thinking, so she looked at the limp, slimy corpse of Gnashuk.

Though Cutheniel did not notice the reason they were staring, but Manwein did. He grew impatient and grunted to snap them back into reality. They all snapped back and introduced themselves- though her beauty kept Manwein ever vigilant; it had its lifesaving advantages. For if she were not so exquisite they would have probably killed them both immediately, or they might have not been so polite.

"I am Aegnorion," the commanding elf said and held out his hand. Cutheniel politely shook it. He waved his hand in greeting to Manwein. "These are my brothers Agarwaent and Dhaeraow," he pointed to the two elves on his right and they waved in greeting. He pointed to the warrior on his left; " This is Delduwath." The elf waved silently. "And this," he pointed to the elf still vigilantly holding Cutheniel's arm, "…is Haydn."

Cutheniel stood thee amused and raised a brow. She had translated all their names and they were all humorously unpleasant. Aegnorion meant 'fell-fire', Agarwaent meant 'bloodstained', Dhaeraow meant 'traitor', Delduwath meant 'horror of night shadow', and Haydn… well Haydn didn't really mean anything but the others did. She quickly glanced back at Manwein, he was smirking. He had found the meanings as well.

"Who are you and what is your business here?" Aegnorion asked.'

"I am Kasumi," Cutheniel lied and continued, "and this is…"

"Manwein," Manwein introduced himself, he did not want Cutheniel to make up name for him, and he would slip and wouldn't recognize if someone was talking to him and his cover would blow. But he was already used to the name Kasumi; he even called Cutheniel that sometimes by mistake.

Cutheniel nodded accepting his decision and continued, "We were captured by orcs."

Curious, Haydn asked-finally letting go of her arm, "Why is your quiver and sheath empty?"

Cutheniel embarrassedly looked at her vacant quiver and sheath, she had forgotten about that problem. "Oh," she said walking past them to stand before Gnashuk's dead body. Cutheniel kicked over his blood corpse to reveal his pack. She pulled out a bundle of cloth that held her arrows, bow, and her long knife. "Their occupants are right here," she said putting her weapons back in their places.

The elves nodded and Aegnorion spoke, "We will have to bring you to the dark King's palace in Gwathdore, where he must give you permission to leave or order you to stay."

Cutheniel and Manwein nodded. They could do nothing anyway. Manwein was too badly injured to defend himself or run and Cutheniel could not take five fully-grown and trained warriors. Well at least four of them were fully-grown. Haydn seemed to be younger than the rest, a little older Manwein, or so she reckoned. 

"Good. Follow us, we will not tie you for I can tell you are not one to leave this injured warrior. So do I have your word that you will not runaway?" Aegnorion asked aristocratically.

"Yes," Kasumi uttered quietly. 

Manwein stood up shakily and joined them. They lead them across the clearing. Each of the elves jumping gracefully over the dead orc corpses. 

They continued on back the way they had come. The five elves surrounding the prisoners, who were walking silently, fearful of what might happen at the palace of the Dark King. 

*****************************************************************************************

Wow, that was pretty long. Ow, finger cramp! Well can you guess what my age is? Hmmmm? Huh? Can you? Can you? Will you try? I apologize if any facts in my fic are incorrect, and if any are please feel free to tell me. Criticism can only help, IF of course the criticism was meant to help, but not if it was meant to offend. But I do enjoy a couple of fierce critics, makes you wanna work harder to make your story good.

And I've got to say myself, that prize seems very good, a cameo appearance in the fic Jaded! Well this fic will be more interactive, like after this contest I'll think of something else. So stay tuned! The winner will be announced in Chapter 12! I'll give it a week (cause I'll be in Mexico) and when I get back I'll see who got it right.

What will happen to Manwein and Cutheniel in the dark capitol Gwathdore?

Why does Cutheniel keep lying about her name? (Well, I know I would if I could)

Do elves have hormones?

I don't know! Well I do, but I'm not telling you! Preview of the next chapter: They arrive in Gwathdore (p.s. Gwathdore means Shadow land) and are judged by the dark King. They are introduced to the life of the Dark elves and hey it isn't too bad: parties, feasts, entertainment, and sword fights, what could be better? Well getting out of the capital would be better, but it's not as bad as they'd thought, or is it? Well Namarie!

~ Cutheniel Yavadren ~

P.s.-) if you're wondering about my elfish name, yes I know it's exactly like my character but that's the whole point. The Yavadren part appeared in this chapter. Did you see it? Well it will be explained later, and you'll be surprised who explains it! Clue it's not Cutheniel/Kasumi! She doesn't even know about that name! You'll see, so keep reading and reviewing!

P.p.s-) I will once again continue calling Cutheniel, Kasumi, because of her other little fib. Just so u don't get confused.

P.p.p.s.-) I apologize if any facts in my fic are incorrect, and if any are please feel free to tell me. Criticism can only help, IF of course the criticism was meant to help, but not if it was meant to offend. But I do enjoy a couple of fierce critics, makes you wanna work harder to make your story good. And if you find Kasumi/Cutheniel somewhat of a Mary-Sue, I don't blame you, that is slightly what she was meant to be: A beauty that attracts all free men, as if putting them under a spell. But that is part of the plot, you wait and see. There's a good explanation (or well at least I think it's good). 


	12. Journey to Gwathdore

Okay, due to the delay of the response of my contest winner, I will give her a rain check on her cameo appearance as soon as she responds (of course that could be never). I just couldn't wait any longer to write my next chapter, school has delayed me too. So without further adieu (is that what they say?) here is my next chapter: _The Journey to Gwathdore_. 

**********************************************************************************************************

Kasumi trudged through the forest following Aegnorion in the dark of the wood. She could hear the strained breathing of Manwein beside her, and could feel the cold stares of Agarwaent and Dhaeraow walking behind them. She could faintly hear Aegnorion and Delduwath chatting quietly above the pounding of the blood in her ears. Haydn marched silently to her right. 

She had never remembered all of her muscles aching as much as they did now, and she had never remembered ever being this tired. Her eyelids were heavy and drooped to the middle of her eyes. She struggled to stay up, but her figure began to sway drowsily. Manwein glanced at her moving frame, and caught her shoulder as she strayed too much to the side. 

Haydn gazed at her from the corner of his eye. "Aegnorion," he addressed their commander. He nodded his head over at Kasumi's wavering physique to show him that she was about to fall asleep.

"Can you travel any longer?" Aegnorion asked Kasumi as he stared at her.

She shook her head. Regularly not sleeping for three days wouldn't be a problem, but even the orcs didn't give them a decent night of sleep. So three days of no sleep and a week of barely any sleep was a problem. "Can we please stop and make camp," she whined, her dignity was still important, but right now sleeping was her number one priority. 

"If you must," he said, reluctantly dropping his pack.

Kasumi didn't even unroll her pack she plopped right onto the ground and fell asleep instantly.

                                                                                                ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kasumi awoke, her eyes were closed- a sign of being in deep sleep. She didn't bother opening her eyes, she was still too tired. Something was moving underneath her, bouncing up and down as if it were walking. As if… she was being carried. She opened her eyes in shock, she _was _being carried! She looked up from her head's perch on the stranger's shoulder. 

Before her was a stern, young elf. She knew him, or so she thought. 'Oh yes! He was Haydn…and he was carrying her!' she remembered why she was angry. She pounded her fists on his back and he glanced down at her struggling body. Her feet squirmed trying to get free. But his left arm under her knees just held on tighter, and his right arm on her back did the same. 

She struggled, his hold was uncomfortable, and but then again it wasn't. He wasn't carrying her in the way she hated –not in the way the King had carried her away from her previous and more favored life. But she was still being carried!

"Let me go!!!!" she cried angrily. 

Stunned Haydn dropped her suddenly, and Kasumi fell onto her back.

"Oh forgive me lady!" Haydn pleaded, bending down to help her up.

"I'm fine," she said getting up on her own, dismissing his outstretched hand.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

" Nevermind that," she said discarding the incident. "But I thought we stopped to make camp?"

"Oh yes, about that…" he said, "We didn't. Once you fell asleep Aegnorion told me to carry you. We're only several hours away from Gwathdore though, so you needn't worry."

"That's a relief," she said happily. "As soon as I can stop walking I'll feel so much better. Now where's Manwein?" she asked looking around, she couldn't see him anywhere. 

"He is up further talking to Delduwath, do not worry. He is healing quickly," he looked at her. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you know each other?"

Kasumi looked back, wondering what she would say. "Well…it's kind of a funny story. Umm…" suddenly Kasumi had a feeling that she should tell him the truth, she felt she could trust him. "Well I ran away from…where I used to reside, over a hundred years ago," she added amazed that such a short time could affect her so much. "Soon after I did, I met Manwein and well, since then we've been like this," she said crossing her forefinger and middle finger to symbolize how they were inseparable.

Haydn looked at her inquiringly. "Are," he looked from her to Manwein walking ahead, "you two…?" 

Kasumi interrupted him quickly, "Oh no! You mean sweethearts? Of course not!" She thought for a second. "Why? What made you think that?"

"Well it just seemed so, because of how you wouldn't leave him, and how you said you two were," he mimicked her symbol of crossing her fingers. "And he…"

"He what?" Kasumi asked suspiciously.

"Well, he said he was courting you. Why? Is that true?" he asked seeing that she was enraged about something.

"First of all I am not aware that I am being wooed, second why would he say such?" she frowned and turned to him. "When did he tell you this? Why did he tell you this? Did you ask him?" she pulled furiously at her hair.

"No, I did not ask him if he was your suitor. I just inquired how you two knew each other. And he brought it up. But do not be angry at him, he must have had a good reason to say such." He replied, worried that she would do something rash.

Kasumi sensed the worry in his voice and looked at him, "Don't worry," she said laughing. "I wouldn't do anything impetuous. But I won't tell him I know anyhow." She put her finger over her mouth, "Shhhh, don't tell him I know though." They laughed happily, but quieted as the company ahead of them stopped silently.

At first Kasumi couldn't tell why, but before Aegnorion could say anything, she sensed him. It was undeniable; he was there less than a mile away from her. 'Legolas,' she mouthed his name silently.

Manwein caught the glint in her eye and frowned. All this time he thought she had forgotten him, but by her look he knew she never would. He stepped toward he protectively and wrapped his arms around her. She stepped away gently, and looked at him sternly. 

"I know what you said," she whispered frustrated, she couldn't help it, she had to ask why. "Why?" 

Manwein gaped and thought shocked, for a moment. "I was trying to protect you…"

"Protect me!" she whispered harshly. "From what? I can take care of myself." She looked at him; he had that face again, the one where you couldn't get mad at him. She frowned, he was a young warrior, but yet, still a child inside.

Manwein clamped his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. "Shhh," he whispered in her ear, and she looked at the other elves that looked at her sternly, signaling for her to be quieter. 

She closed her eyes; she could feel it again. The feeling that she knew meant Legolas was somewhere near. She bit her lip; it took all her control to keep from wrenching out of Manwein's hold and flying into Legolas'.

He knew what she was thinking, and it made him jealous, very jealous. He looked up at the other elves, they had no clue of what she was doing, and they didn't seem to take interest. 

"Get into the tree," Aegnorion commanded, and Manwein forced Kasumi up into the tree, then climbed up after her.

Kasumi looked down and watched as they pulled out their swords and stood in a fighting stance.

'Oh no,' she thought afraid, they could hurt him, and maybe even kill him. 'I have to do something, but what?' she thought thinking quickly. She cracked a dying branch off of the tree, and threw it as far as she could in the other direction, hoping to distract Legolas and stray him off of their path.

Aegnorion looked up at her, and then allowed them to come down. He did not ask her why she did that as she feared, he remained silent, motioning for them to continue their journey. The others did the same, all walking in the way they had since they started their journey. But Haydn walked over and strolled silently beside her.

Manwein looked at the young elf on the other side of Kasumi. He was about his age, a grown warrior, but still young, and in his prime. 'He had better not try anything,' he thought jealously, amazed at his own reaction. He walked frustratingly away to go ask Delduwath how much longer did they have to walk until they reached their city. He limped slightly, his back stung with every step.

"How much longer?" he asked walking alongside Delduwath.

"Not very much, the city is very near. No one but us dark elves can get inside, there is only one way to get in and one way to get out, and only we know where it is. It's our security," he said telling Manwein the information freely, there was no way he could use this knowledge to escape anyhow. 

Haydn tapped Kasumi on the shoulder. "We are here," he whispered and they both looked up at what lay before them. 

She looked forward, the woods ahead of them were covered in a darkness. It seemed to be protected in a shield of everlasting night, as if it were another world seperated from theirs. She gulped, dreading what this world held in store for her. Her eyes widened anxiously, and her hand fidgeted tensely.

Haydn looked at her, she was amazed, and he could see deep in her eyes that she was frightened, but she hid it well. He took her hand to stop it from shaking. "It's not as bad as you would think," he whispered.

She looked up at him, puzzled. Then it hit her; Haydn had been like them, a regular elf taken captive. She tilted her head in question.

He knew what she was thinking. He nodded, "They raided our village when I was young, they kidnapped me and as I grew up they trained me like them. Now I'm allowed out of the city, they trust that I will come back."

They stopped as they ran into the others who were standing in front of the shadowed woods. Aegnorion called out a name, seeing someone in the darkness. 

A shadowed came closer in the darkness, stepping towards them…

**********************************************************************************************************

Hmm…what could be in store for our heroine and her companion? 

Will Manwein's jealousy become too much? Will he try anything drastic to win Kasumi over? Is Haydn a threat to Manwein? Will they ever escape? Am I wearing socks?

Now wouldn't you like to know? Lol…but you can't so, deal with it!!! Lol, well I'll be hoping to update Jaded again soon so stay tuned.

If you have any suggestions, comments, questions, complaints, etc…review and/or email me. Namarie!


	13. The Dark City

Hi everyone, sorry for not updating as often as I'd hoped I'd be able to. Well, I'm back finally. So I hope you enjoy this next chapter, The Dark Realm.

*****************************************************************************

As the figure entered the dim light, Kasumi saw that he his skin was pale, but his features were dark, just like the others. She turned to look up at Haydn, he didn't look the same, his skin was bright with life, and his features were light. Then she looked at Aegnorion, he was talking with the elf, constantly pointing at her, and Manwein. 

"He is the head guard; they keep watch at the border of our realm. His name is Imbesarn," Haydn whispered, sensing her curiosity. 

Suddenly, Aegnorion and Imbesarn's conversation stopped, and Imbesarn addressed Kasumi and Manwein. 

"We are accustomed to blindfolding our captives as we enter the Dark Realm," he said looking at them. "However, Aegnorion says we can trust that you two will not cause any trouble. Now, I am willing to let you pass without having to be blindfolded if you will cooperate, but be aware however, that if you don't, you must suffer dire consequences." Imbesarn looked from Manwein to Kasumi, and they both nodded in agreement. "Very well then," he turned once again to Aegnorion. "You may enter."

Aegnorion thanked him, and they followed him into the darkness of the trees. 

After several steps, Kasumi looked back, the bright forest where they had stood seconds ago seemed to disappear, and it looked as though to whole forest was always so dark. She looked ahead, and trudged on reluctantly, trying not to worry about what may lie ahead. 

She could hear Manwein shiver softly, as he approached her side. It made her feel better to be between Haydn, and Manwein, it was less cold, and if any trouble occurred they would take care of it. Even though it was not her nature to rely on warriors to take care of her, but she did not want them to suspect that she knew how to fight defensively and offensively.

What sounded like a crack of a twig underneath someone's foot, reached her ear, and seemed to echo among the trees. She looked up at the top of the trees, searching for any sight of the sun. However, what surprised her was that instead, she found the moon.

"Haydn, why is the moon out?" she asked in a whisper. "When we were in the light the sun was out, and then it was still early afternoon. What happened?"

He looked up as well, and then answered. "The king of the Dark Realm, he harnesses the power to control all the natural elements in the kingdom. He has made it so that it is allows night, so that our part of the forest will be filled with a never ending darkness."

Kasumi gasped amazed. "Is he a wizard?"

Haydn shook his head, "No, he is just like us, an elf, but I've heard that he hadn't always wielded such powers. Ever since I've been here he has had that power, but people tell me that it hasn't always been so.

"They say he was just like we are now, enchanting, yet not wielding magical powers. Some say it was given to him, by a dark wizard, after they had made an agreement," he looked at her as she stared forward in awe. She looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "However, you shouldn't always believe what you here," he said quickly, not wanting her to judge all dark elves as evil just because of one of them.

"Do not worry about me," she reassured him. She looked around her once more, still astounded at the idea of an elf that can bend nature to his will. Thinking about the power's good and evil points, she walked on, following Haydn's lead. 

Her feet began to drag along the ground, but not because she was tired, in fact she could have walked a whole other day without tiring. It was because she was anxious, she didn't know why, maybe because her mind was bent on seeing this king's power for herself, or maybe because she had been away from civilization for such a long time, but not nearly as long as Manwein had.

She walked over to Manwein, and he looked at her.

"Manwein, this may sound funny, but, are you anxious to get to the city?" she asked, surprised at how much like a child she had sounded.

He thought silently for a moment, then answered. "No, not really," he said, making a face that gave Kasumi the idea that he was thinking of all the bad things that could become of them at the city. "Why do you ask?"

"It was just that...," she considered how she could it explain it to him without sounding strange. "Well, I haven't seen civilization in over a century, and I know to us that's not a long time, but after a while you realize how long that's been. Especially for you, you've been isolated longer than I have, aren't you the least bit eager to see a city full of life?"

"I hadn't thought about it like that," he replied. "However, now that you've brought it up, yes I guess I'm a bit excited to see many people again."

Kasumi nodded, and walked silently beside him. She considered his answer, aware that he was thinking more in a negative way, but there was one thing she hadn't told him. 

She had never been to a large city, or any city at all. Villages, small towns, and campsites, were all she had ever visited on her little outings, but she had never seen a city. She had heard of the buildings: grand, large, and in countless amounts. Maybe even markets, filled with merchants selling fine cloths, herbs, and so much more. They were what she was most excited about, Maliana would always tell her about her excursions to small markets, buying more than she was sent out for. 

Manwein nudged her gently, and she looked up, torn abruptly away from her daydreaming. She looked ahead. She could she the dim glow of faraway torches, and lights, and she could almost make out a gate in the far away darkness. 

Her eyes widened apprehensively, her mind buzzed with all the things she had heard of, but had never seen for herself. Then suddenly her thoughts stopped on what Manwein had been worrying about their whole journey. What bad things could happen behind those gates? Would they be forced to stay there for the rest of their lives, and if so how would they be rescued? No one knew about this hidden city deep in the dark part of Mirkwood.

She gulped, and Manwein could sense her uncertainties. 

"Do you think...," she began to ask, hushed in a whisper.

Manwein shrugged. "We'll just have to wait, and find out I guess, but don't worry. I don't think they'd be able to hurt you, and I'd put up a pretty good fight if they tried to hurt me."

"Are you fully healed?"

He looked at his legs, and stretched his once wounded back. "Well, I don't feel anymore pain, so I would say my wounds are mended."

Kasumi smiled, "That's good." 

The light became brighter, and she could clearly make out a large wall, and four soldiers guarding its gate. 

She reluctantly walked forward, as a sickening feeling ran through her. 

They finally arrived at the gates, and the guards greeted Aegnorion and his companions. Then their stares turned to the captives. 

"Where did you stumble upon these, Aegnorion?" a guard asked, as if they were animals that had been picked up by curious children. 

"We stole them from orcs," he laughed. "They are stolen captives!"

He and the guards laughed, and Kasumi clenched her fists tightly, straining her muscles from hurting all of them.

"Do you know where they are from?" the guard asked, looking both of them over. "They look like they're both from different places. Taken kidnapped from different places, perhaps?"

Aegnorion shrugged, "That could be possible." He turned to the guard, "What did the King say about your daughter?"

The guard sighed. "Rejected her, he did. She didn't seem to mind, meeting him probably changed her mind about him."

"Rejected everyone so far, huh?" Aegnorion whispered.

"Yes, every single maiden brought to him. He just takes a quick look at them, and says no. Some say he's immortal, and doesn't need a wife to give him an heir, but that's just gossip I've been hearing out on the streets, and you know that half of the elves gossiping are drunk."

Aegnorion nodded, "Well, it was nice to talk with you again. Now if you don't mind, I've got to bring these two to the King." The two looked at Kasumi and Manwein. "I'm hoping that the King will like the girl, could even give me a little reward," he whispered into his ear so quietly that not even the elves close to them could hear.

The two chuckled, and the guard signaled to the other guard up in the watch tower to open the gates.

Kasumi's eyed widened anxiously as the gates opened slowly, not noticing Haydn getting up from his resting spot at the trunk of a tree. 

As the gates stopped opening, revealing the city streets, Kasumi's mouth dropped.

Haydn stared at her amusedly. "What about our city amazes you so?" he asked curiously. "It is not the least bit fascinating to me, or anyone else I know, but you."

Kasumi continued to stare, her mouth now closed, realizing how foolish she must've looked with it hanging open. She turned to him, "Well, if you really would like to know, I have never seen a city before in my life. Just villages, and small settlements, but never cities."

It was his turn to look foolish. His mouth dropped, and he laughed lightly. "Well, where did you live if you have not seen a single city?" he asked, seeing that she did not find it funny.

She opened her mouth to answer, but closed it quickly, thinking of what she could tell him. "I used to live in a place with many elves, I did not like it there, so I ran away. Then I lived in the forest with Manwein, and now here I am," she finished, fairly happy with the briefness of her answer. 

He nodded. Then looked over at the open gate where Aegnorion signaled for the rest of the group to follow him. As they past through the gate, Haydn and the others bid farewell to the guards, and then followed Aegnorion through the cobblestone streets.

They walked silently, Manwein on one side, Haydn on the other. Both surprised as they watched Kasumi's reactions to everything around them.

She looked at the buildings lining the streets, staring in wonder at the shops with their colorful window displays.

They walked on, and soon the city lost Kasumi's interest, and she walked along, looking straight ahead. The light from inside an inn shone through the street, casting shadows on the buildings' walls. On the sign above the door was carved a silver moon, and in golden letters was the inn's name: The Waning Moon Inn and Bar.

Aegnorion walked toward it and opened the door. They all gathered into the building, and waited as Aegnorion talked to the innkeeper. As the innkeeper went off to run a short errand, Aegnorion turned to them.

"I just have to take care of some business, and I want you to watch them," he said, referring to Kasumi and Manwein as 'them'. He walked across the crowded bar, passing the many tables, until he reached the other side, where they watched him climb the stairs, and disappeared.

She followed Haydn as he and the other elves walked to sit at the bar. She took a seat, between Haydn and Manwein, and looked around.

The room was stuffy, and was thick with the smell of wine, and beer. The elves sitting at the tables were all drunk, and were laughing loudly. She frowned, it was disgusting how they were acting, 'They are elves, not men!' she thought. 'They should know better than to go wild like they are.'

She turned around to face the bar, and looked down the line. Haydn and the others were drinking goblets of wine, and Manwein was enjoying some as well. 

"T'would you like a glass of wine as well, dear lady?" the bartender asked her.

Kasumi looked at the bartender. He looked a little bit older than herself, and had rough fuzz growing on his face. "No thank you," she said politely, then looked quickly back at him. 

There was something about him that wasn't right. Young elves did not grow fuzz, or beards, but there it was plainly on his face. Not only that but his hair was cut short, and above his ears. Then she saw the final clue, his ears were not pointed at all, they were perfectly curved. Then that would mean he was human, but what would a human be doing here?

She turned around in her seat, and looked around at the bar. He wasn't the only one, there were more men crowding the tables along with the elves, and dwarves as well. She didn't know why it surprised her. She had only expected to see elves here, especially since this was, in fact, a secret hidden city.

She tapped Haydn's shoulder.

He swallowed the wine in his mouth, then looked at her.

"Why are there men, and dwarves here?" she asked, trying not to sound clueless.

Haydn looked around. "Yes, you would think since this was a hidden city that there would only be us elves here, but that is not so. We do business with the men, and dwarves that pass through here. They are how we get most of our outside news, and trades."

She nodded, then let him return to his wine. She asked the bartender for a glass of water, and he looked at her surprised, no one usually ordered water she guessed.

"Is that all miss?" he asked. "We have some wine, if you would like that better. Maybe some ale, perhaps?"

She shook her head. "No thank you sir, water would be fine."

He nodded, and went off to fill her glass. When he returned, she gratefully took the cup, and turned back around to observe her whereabouts. Many of the men were smoking on their long, wooden pipes, while gorging themselves with mugs of beer. The dwarves were consuming large amounts of snacks, and drinking immense amounts of ale.

However, what most disgusted her was the behavior of the elves, they drank so much wine that some of them were screaming wildly, and some went outside to vomit. 

She coughed suddenly, the thick smell of alcohol seemed to flood her senses. Her head became light, and she turned around to rest her head on the bar. 

Manwein looked at her worriedly. "Are you feeling well?" he asked, as she groaned.

"Well, I wouldn't say I was feeling great. The air in here is stifling, and I cannot believe the way these elves are acting," she said, taking a long sip of water from her glass. 

He looked around, "Yes, but you can't really blame them. They have nothing else to do," he took a sip of his wine. "And this wine is really very good."

She laughed with him, but groaned as her head started to get heavy. 

"I can hardly breath in here, Manwein."

"You could always request for a room," he suggested. "Aegnorion says we're staying here for tonight."

"What rooms are we to sleep in?" she asked. "Because I certainly can not sleep in the same room as them, it is just not done, and then I would worry if you were to sleep in the same room as them without me."

He smiled. "Thanks for worrying. Though I don't think they'll try anything, then they would have wasted their time dragging me over here."

Kasumi finished her water, then stood up. "I can't stand being in here anymore," she said lightheadedly. "If they ask for me I'll be outside."

"Will they allow you to?"

"I do not care if they should not allow me. I am far to dizzy right now to care," she said. Kasumi grabbed her cloak, and walked outside. 

The other elves didn't seem to notice, and they continued what they were doing, each now on his second goblet.

Once outside, Kasumi leaned against the stone wall of the inn, and inhaled deeply. She sighed as the clean, fresh air, rushed through her, and her head stopped spinning. She wrapped her cloak around her, and shivered realizing how cold, and crisp it was out here, compared to the stuffy warmness inside. 

There were several other elves outside as well. Some were recovering, just as she was, from the mustiness inside, and some were suffering the consequences of drinking too much wine. 

She sank down to the stone floor, and sat on the ground. She looked up at the enchanted sky, with its enchanted moon and stars. She shuddered within her cloak, and struggled to stand up. Once up, she walked to the building beside the inn, with no intention to run away, just to keep herself warm. 

She peered into its foggy window. With her cloak sleeve she wiped off an area of the condensation, then gazed inside. It was a clothing shop. She was amazed that the dark elves adopted man's way of living, than continuing the elven tradition of making whatever they needed. She forgot about their way of life, as she walked back to the inn. 

Once Kasumi opened the door, the musty air rushed out. She quickly closed the door, and decided to stay out there a little while longer. 'Anyway, if they wanted me to come inside they would have come and gotten me,' she thought, sitting back down on the stone ground. She looked at an elf sitting on the ground as well a couple of yards away from her.

He looked up, and caught her eyes. His eyes were striking, bright-blue, and familiar. His hair fell a little beyond his shoulders, and shone like gold under the moonlight. She couldn't shake the feeling that he looked familiar. 'He looks just like...but no, it couldn't be,' she thought, feeling foolish. 

He stood up, and walked over to sit beside her. She smiled in greeting, fighting the thought that he was who she thought he was. Suddenly he let down his hood, and she gasped. It was him...it was Legolas. 

She squealed with joy, not caring about the surprised elves around her watching, and reached over to hug him. She closed her eyes, and as she wrapped her arms around his body, they whipped through the air, only to endup hugging herself. She opened her eyes. He was no longer there, and her hands grabbed nothing but air. 

She cried into the bitter night air, unconcerned about anyone that might be watching her. She threw herself against the wall, and before she could stop them, hot tears ran down her cheeks. Kasumi clenched her fists, and pounded them on the wall behind her. 

'It was not supposed to be like this!' she thought. 'All of this was not supposed to happen!' She finally realized what had happened. As if she was injured, and had gone numb, but then suddenly she began to feel the pain. She wiped her eyes, and stood up, hoping her nose was no longer red. She opened the door of the inn, and walked inside. 

She told Haydn that she was going to retire for the night, and the innkeeper led her to her room. 

As she entered her room, she sighed. She would not have to sleep in the same room with the others, and Haydn had assured her that Manwein would not be touched. Kasumi threw off her boots, and stripped off her clothing, until none but her undershirt remained. She untied her hair, and slipped into bed. 

The mattress felt like a cloud underneath her, and she closed her eyes. Soon after, she forgot about the musty bar underneath her room, and fell asleep.

******************************************************************************

Pretty long chapter, huh? yeah, I guess I had a lot of time on my hands (for once), Lol. Well, please review, and give me any suggestions, questions, or comments. I am also working on a website, which will contain pictures I drew to accompiany my fic, so hopefully I'll get it done soon. Bye for now! 


	14. At the Gates of Unknown Doom

Hi! Wow, I didn't think I'd have enough time to start on my next chapter so soon! Well, it'z prolly cuz I'm secretly doing some of my homework during class, lol. Shhh! Well, it'z almost Christmas Vacation! So that means I'll be able to update more often. I'm also hoping that since LOTR2 is coming out soon, that lots of the people that started writing fics earlier this year when they remembered LOTR will start reading and writing fics again. That would be so great. Well, I'll stop bothering you now cause you probably would like to start reading now, lol. 

p.s. Thanks to the two new people who have started reading my fic on Thanksgiving, Thank God for Holidays! Hmmm, can't wait 'till Christmas vacation when people don't have school! That means more readers! Lol.

******************************************************************************

Kasumi awoke to a loud knocking on her door. She snapped out of dream, and looked at the door. She had almost forgotten where she was. She slipped out from the blankets.

"I'll be there in a second!" she answered, as she pulled on her leggings. As she pulled on her shirt over her undershirt, she rushed to answer the door.

It was the innkeeper. "Aegnorion would like me to tell you that you are expected down at the morning meal in ten minutes," he said politely, seeing that he had disturbed her sleep. 

Kasumi looked at the innkeeper, he was a slightly short, chubby man, and not to be a stereotype, but she had heard most innkeepers were the like. "Thank you sir," she said, and she closed the door as he walked off.

She went to her bed, and pulled on her boots, doublet, and gauntlets, then walked over to the dresser. She pulled a brush from her pack and smoothed out her hair, it was horribly tangled from her travels, and luckily not dirty. After it was detangled, she took her pieces of cord and tied her hair in the traditional elven way, with two braids hanging at her ears. She washed her face in the provided basin, and grabbed her cloak. She swung her pack over her shoulder and headed downstairs.

As she rushed down the stairs, her thoughts fell onto the memory of Maliana and her running down to be on time for the morning meal. She laughed quietly, then became silent, that thought made her remember how long she had been away from her friends, and she struggled to forget it.

Kasumi made her way into the bar. It was empty, except for her companions, and some men sitting at a table in the corner. She sat next to Manwein, and asked how his sleep had been.

He thought the question over for a moment. "Well, I can't say it wasn't good. It was probably the best sleep this elf has had in a long time," he replied. "At least I wasn't kicked awake."

Kasumi smiled amused, recalling the memory of the orc captain kicking them awake. "Yes, I have to say that I agree. A decent bed is very welcoming after a while."

A woman walked into the room, carrying a tray. Kasumi guessed that it was the innkeeper's wife. She passed out bowls of hot cereal, to all of them. Kasumi smiled and thanked her, after she had received her bowl. The woman smiled back and accepted the thanks. 

They all began to eat their meals, blowing at spoonfuls of their hot meal, then enjoying its sweet taste in their mouths. Kasumi and Manwein obviously enjoyed it the most, it had been a while since they had food that wasn't packed with salts and spices to preserve it, not including however the lembas, which was sweet and could be preserved a long time without salt.

As they finished their meal, the woman came back in and gathered their dishes and spoons. They all sat there and let the oatmeal settle into their stomachs, until Aegnorion stood up, and called for the innkeeper. Then they all stood up, and followed him outside, where they were greeted by horses.

They all mounted the horses that the innkeeper had lent to them, except for Kasumi, who had stopped inside to thank the innkeeper and his wife for their hospitality. They both bid her farewell, and bid her good fortune. As she turned to leave, the innkeeper's wife requested that she wait. 

Kasumi watched clueless, as she scurried to the kitchen. She rushed back out moments after carrying a wrapped package. 

"This is for you," she told Kasumi. 

Kasumi smiled thankfully. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"I overheard that you and your friend are captives, and you were so kind. I must admit that not all of our customers thank us often," she said, handing her the package.

Kasumi was about to open it up, when she heard Aegnorion calling for her from outside. "Thank you very much," she said. "I can't begin to describe how nice it is to see a friendly face. I promise I will open it as soon as I can."

The innkeeper's wife bid her farewell, and Kasumi left to meet the other elves outside. 

Aegnorion stared at her coldly as she mounted her horse. "What were you doing that was important enough to delay our arrival?" he asked. "We are expected at the castle at noon."

Kasumi hung her head solemnly, and apologized, hiding the package underneath her cloak. 

He did not answer, but instead instructed them to follow his horse. 

Kasumi followed last, hoping that he wouldn't notice. Unfortunately he did, and he sent Haydn to the back of the procession to keep an eye on her.

"I see he is wise enough not to trust me," she joked, as Haydn brought his horse next to hers. 

He laughed. "Well, you need not feel bad. He doesn't trust anyone, and if he does, those people are most likely under threat of death if they are to break his trust."

They both laughed, and after they had settled down, Kasumi remembered the package.

She pulled it from underneath her cloak, and set it on her lap. 

"When did you receive that?" he asked quietly, looking at it curiously.

"Well, what kept me so long inside the inn was that I was thanking the innkeeper and his wife for their generosity. Then, afterwards his wife, gave me this packet, she had found out that I was a captive, and she was pleased that I was thankful for their kindness," she said, as she untied the cord that held the paper onto the package.

He nodded, then thought about what she had said. "Do you dislike being a captive?" he asked, then laughed at his question. "I mean, I know you must dislike it, but...," he thought of how to state his question, then he suddenly felt foolish. "I am sorry, please excuse my imprudence. I have no idea what I am trying to say."

She smiled and assured him that she did not mind. "Do you mean to ask whether I feel contented, if not entirely happy being where I am?"

He nodded. "Yes, that is somewhat like what I was trying to say, you put it into words better than I can anyhow." 

"Well," she thought. "I wouldn't exactly say that I entirely love being here, but I have to say, it is not all too dreadful."

He smiled. "That's good," he admitted, happy that she didn't really hate being there. "What was inside the package?"

Kasumi gasped, she had forgotten about the package. "Oh yes," she said, peeling the wrapping off of it. She lifted a small note from the wrapping.

"What is that?" Haydn inquired. "What does it say?"

"Dear child," Kasumi read. "It has also come to my attention that you were a rescued captive of a band of orcs. It fills my heart with joy that you were rescued, and that you were spared the awful fate of their wrath. Unfortunately, my oldest daughter was a victim of them, and was not rescued. You remind me of her, and because of that I thank you, and I would like you to have what once belonged to her." Cutheniel looked down amidst the packaging, and her she opened her mouth in delight.

Haydn looked her, perplexed. "What has she placed in your possession Kasumi?"

From the paper she lifted a pendant and chain, and it shimmered in the starlight. She lifted it to her eyes, and stared at it gleefully. It was beautiful, the chain was mithril, skillfully braided, and the pendant hanging from it was as clear as glass, but as sturdy as crystal. She had never seen such a gem before, it was cut so that every ray of light that hit it was reflected by one of its many facets. It shimmered in the twinkling light of the moon and stars, and Kasumi silently thanked the kind woman for her lovely gift. 

"Haydn," she said turning to him. "What kind of stone is this?"

Haydn looked closely at the pendant, and his eyes widened amazed. "That is one of our most precious gems here in the Dark Realm. 'Belthil' is the name we have given it, because no word in our language can describe it, so we use Quenya."

"Divine Radiance," Kasumi said, translating its name. "Its name suits it well, it is the most beautiful stone I have ever seen." 

"Yes, she was very kind as to give you that Kasumi," Haydn said.

"Indeed she was," Kasumi whispered, as she struggled to clasp it around her neck. It was difficult. She looked at Haydn, "Could you...?"

"Of course," he said, moving his horse closer to hers, so that their legs brushed together. He reached over, and she pulled her hair away from her neck. He made a great effort to fasten it, its clasp was small and delicate, and difficult to lock. Finally after much struggle he managed to get it to lock securely about her neck. She let go of her hair, and it fell back behind her neck. 

They both looked at the pendant hanging from the chain. It hung at her chest, and shimmered brilliantly. 

"Thank you," she said gratefully, and stared in wonder at the beauty of the pendant.

"Your very welcome," he said, admiring the way it lighted up her face, with light and joy. 

She touched it, thinking about the innkeeper's oldest daughter, who had befallen the frightful fortune of being taken imprisoned by orcs. "Did you know the innkeeper's daughter?" she asked Haydn curiously.

Haydn thought back for a moment. "I couldn't really say I _knew_ her, but I have seen her several times when we stop at the inn."

"Was she beautiful?" Kasumi asked, wondering that was why the daughter had the necklace.

Haydn closed his eyes, trying to remember. He shook his head. "No, she wasn't particularly attractive, rather plain if I must say, but she was beautiful on the inside. Kind to everyone she was, very friendly, and she was always smiling."

Kasumi nodded.

"That is probably why her mother gave it to you," Haydn said.

Kasumi smiled, and thought. "So I'm not pretty?" she joked playfully.

"No that is not what I meant by that," Haydn said, blushing embarrassedly.

Kasumi smiled back. "Do not worry, I was just teasing you."

"Oh, that is a relief," he said, trying hard to stop blushing. "You are not in any way plain, Kasumi. In fact you are very beautiful," he said, his cheeks a bright red, despite his resistance to blush. 

She smiled. "Thank you very much Haydn. That's a lot coming from a dark elf. It is nice to know that I am not considered plain by a dark elf," she said smiling widely, as he turned his head away, to hide his flushing face. She laughed a little, and looked at ahead at the road.

"How long until we reach the palace?" she asked curiously.

"Noon," Haydn said, his face now back to its regular shade. 

Kasumi looked up into the sky. "How can you tell if it is noon, or not?"

Haydn looked up at the moon. "Do you see where he moon is positioned right now?" he asked, pointing to its place in the sky. Kasumi looked up and nodded. "Well, it acts just like the sun, at high noon it is directly above us. So, just pretend it was the sun."

Kasumi nodded. "So then...it is midmorning?" she queried.

"That is correct."

"Then what happens when this moon sets?"

"When the moon sets, then the sky is left with stars. They light our land well enough," Haydn explained.

"Oh," Kasumi said. Noon was almost upon them, and Kasumi was anxious to reach the palace. She looked at the surrounding buildings, they were getting larger as they entered the center of the city. She had to admit, the city was bigger than she had expected, it had taken them two hours to reach where they now were, and it was all city, save for a whole half hour where they passed by fields of crops and country houses.

From the front of the procession, Aegnorion called to Haydn. After Haydn had rode ahead to catch up with his captain, Manwein slowed his horse down, so as to ride alongside Kasumi.

"We are almost there, another twenty minutes they said," Manwein told her as he settled beside her.

Kasumi gulped nervously. 

"Are you nervous as well Kasumi?" he asked quietly.

Kasumi remained silent, but gave him a slight nod. Her hand traveled up until it reached her pendant, she wrapped her fingers around it, and closed her eyes.

Manwein's eyes fell on the charm. "When did you acquire that pendant? I have not seen you where it before."

"Do you recall my tardiness at the inn?" she waited until he nodded to continue. "Well, the innkeeper's kind wife gave it to me to keep."

Manwein nodded, and did not ask any further. "It is very beautiful, she must have thought you were very worthy, to bestow such a gift upon you."

She smiled, he may have been nervous, but his charm never ceased. She looked ahead, and her lips which once smiled, dropped into a straight line. 

Manwein looked up as well, and could see what petrified her. From above the many buildings, they could see the top of a large structure, and they had no doubt that it was the palace. Their horses rounded a corner, and there was the palace, in all its entirety. It loomed over them, but strangely did not fill them with doom, and dread like they had expected. The castle walls were a pearly white, and softly glistened in the dark. Its windows beckoned to them silently, the unknown depths inside gave out a warm glow.

The gates were already opened and guards stood outside to greet them. Their horses stopped in front of the gate, and Kasumi dismounted as soon as Aegnorion did. Four guards approached, and coaxed the horses to follow them to the stables. Kasumi stood anxiously beside Manwein and awaited the doom that was to become of them. 

An elf came up to them, he wore an elaborately adorned vest, green leather, with ivy leaves sewn onto it in gold thread. He smiled as he approached Aegnorion.

"Ah, look who's back. The conquering hero back to brag about more of his achievements!" they patted each other on the back, obviously very good friends. "So, were the orcs any trouble?"

Aegnorion laughed, and shook his head. "Not at all, it seems orcs become lower in intelligence every day," the two laughed, and the guard slapped him gently on the shoulder. 

"Yes, it does seem so. Have you any trophy to show off this time?" the guard, whom Aegnorion had called Drauganca, "Jaws of a Wolf". 

Aegnorion shook his head. "No, I am sorry my friend," he bowed his head solemnly. 

"Oh," Drauganca whispered quietly.

"I've got something even better," he said raising his head back, smiling as he saw Drauganca look back in surprise. He pointed in the direction of Kasumi and Manwein. 

Drauganca laughed merrily. "Aegnorion my friend, you were always quite the joker," he looked at the two captives. "A pretty fine catch you have there, stolen property I presume."

Aegnorion nodded. "Now dear friend, if you do not mind, we are expected to meet the King very soon."

"Yes," Drauganca said, moving aside. "It was wonderful to see you again friend."

Aegnorion bid him farewell, and ordered their company to follow him inside.

Kasumi gulped, and clutched Manwein's hand for comfort as they walked into the castle, wondering what would become of them.

Manwein held her hand warmly, trying to hide his own nervousness, he assured himself that they would find a way to escape, and return to the life they had once peacefully lived.

******************************************************************************

Well, I hope that's enough for now. So what do you think will happen? Hmmm, well keep guessing cause I won't tell you until I write again. So Namarie!


	15. Unexpected Consequences

Hi, again!!!!! Wow, I have more time to type now, thanks to the oncoming vacation. Yeah, I can't wait till Christmas vacation!!!! More readers!!! LOTR2 is coming out tomorrow!!! (I'm typing this on Dec. 17, 02) Well, I don't have much time now so I'll start typing...

******************************************************************************

Kasumi kept her head down, staring at the stone floor, as she followed the feet in front of her. She was too scared to look up, in fear of meeting a pair of unfriendly eyes. She could just imagine the many bystanders around them, stopping what they were doing, and watching their odd company, amusing themselves with the sight of two more, of probably many, captives.

Her hand was still held in Manwein's, and he squeezed hers gently. He put a single finger under her chin, and raised her head.

"Do not bow your head, show that you are unafraid," he told her softly.

Kasumi opened her mouth to say, "But I am afraid," but before she could he put his finger over her mouth.

"If it is not so, then pretend. Lie to them without saying a word," he told her, and she shut her mouth, and her face shifted into a solemn, yet defiant face, and he nodded in approval. His face changed as well, into the same appearance, showing no emotion. 

Although his eyes showed no a gleam of fear, Kasumi could tell that inside his mind was screaming in dread. She could imagine that just like her, he was fighting the urge in his legs to run, dash out of the door, and run, praying that they did not shoot them down. But no matter how difficult it was to remain bold, Manwein was right, to show fear was cowardly of them, and it would be shameful for them to be remembered as cowards.

Kasumi gulped as she looked around, everything around them was carved out of stone, and polished to a magnificent shine. She wondered if the palace was even built out of the very Misty Mountains themselves, for that was where the city was located. In a hidden pocket of the mountains, concealed from all the world.

'Maybe it will not be too bad,' she thought with fake hope. 'They could be nice. After all, Haydn was kind, so there has to be other kind elves as well.'

From down the hallway, Kasumi could hear the clatter of swords, and the murmuring of onlookers. They finally reached the place the clatter had been coming from, and Kasumi wondered why they had stopped. 

They had paused in front of an open courtyard, the entrance cut from the wall, and the ceiling held up by stone columns. She followed Aegnorion out into the open courtyard, the stars shone down on the marble floor, and torches added to the light. In the center of the courtyard were two elves, each equipped with a slender sword. Around them, a crowd was gathered, all watching in awe as they fought, showing off their skills.

Also among the crowd were guards standing atop a small platform, and on a lavish throne sat an elf. At the sight of Aegnorion, he raised his hand, and the fighting, and cheering stopped. The fighters stepped back leaving the courtyard open for them to step through. As their little procession moved ahead, Kasumi found it hard to pick up her feet, and she would not budge. The others thought it was because of confusion, but Manwein could tell that it was out of fear. 

He stopped and looked back at her, walking quickly back he grabbed her hand. "Come on," he told her aloud, and his eyes commanded her silently to be brave. She cleared her throat and followed. 

They stopped as they met the rest of their group, and waited fearfully for their fate.

Aegnorion stepped forward and bowed before the platform. Kasumi looked up at the elf seated on the throne, he was just as Haydn had described to her. His eyes were cold and dark, and his face showed not a care for anybody's troubles. He carried no staff like she had imagined him to, but then again he probably needed no staff to perform the magic he was so told to do.

"Aegnorion," he said coldly. "You have returned. What news have you brought me from the outside world?"

Aegnorion stood once again before him and answered, "Everything is as they were before. Though we caught a large band of orcs traveling across the borders of our territory."

"Yes, and what has become of them?" he questioned. 

"Dead, my lord, all of them," Aegnorion pronounced proudly.

The king nodded, and after a moment of silence uttered. "Very good."

Now Aegnorion stood taller, and cleared his throat.

The king looked at him, "More news do you have for me?"

"Not news, my lord. I would rather call them...," he paused and looked back at Kasumi and Manwein. "...Gifts." He nodded to the other elves and they grabbed the captives and pushed them forward.

Kasumi grunted as she was thrown onto her knees before the platform. She did not know why Manwein had told her not to struggle or fight back, but she listened anyway. She sat on the ground, her legs folded under her, Manwein beside her seated in the same fashion. 

"A two little trinkets we stole from that band of orcs," Aegnorion told the king. He waited, and watched, as the king looked them over.

"Ah, from where in the world did they come?" the king asked, looking at them. 

Kasumi struggled to keep from looking down, and instead looked straight ahead. Suddenly his eyes caught hers, and she struggled to pull her gaze away from his. He seemed to hold her still, keeping her from turning. She stood still, her face calm, but yet, inside her heart was pounding louder than any drums she had ever heard, and it took all of her might to keep her from shaking in fear.

He stood up from his seat and walked off of the platform. He stopped in front of her, and bended down. He lifted her chin with his finger, and looked her in the eyes once more. Her face remained calm, and defiant, and her eyes tried to match his coldness. "From where were you taken from?" he asked her, his voice now sounding more natural, and less cold.

Kasumi hesitated, thinking of what she could say to from getting killed. "I am from nowhere," she told him, her eyes staring up at his, piercing his thoughts. His face showed no emotion, but she pried inside his mind, and she found the strongest emotion inside of him. Amusement. 

He smiled coldly. "Now where is nowhere? For I have not heard of such a land," he asked her, entertaining himself. "Please, educate me on the land of nowhere."

Kasumi frowned and did nothing but glare at him callously. He met her glare fiercely and attempted to snoop into her thoughts, as she had done to him. He could not open her mind, and he finally gave up. 

"Maybe your friend would like to educate me on the whereabouts of nowhere," he said instead, turning to Manwein, who had much rather liked him talking to Kasumi instead of him.

"What she had meant to say is that we live no where," he told the king simply, not wanting to make their conversation any longer than it had become.

"Very well," he said, sitting back onto his throne. "Thank you, Aegnorion for your report, you may leave."

Aegnorion looked at him confused, he had not punished the captives in anyway, and merely taunting them was all he had done. "What of the captives, my lord?" he asked curiously?

The king thought, and Kasumi gulped nervously. "Give them their own rooms, and tell Lauriana to dress them for dinner," he told him. 

Aegnorion's mouth dropped, the king had never done this before, but he could not object. Horrible things had happened to people who defied the king, and he did not want to become another. "Yes, my lord," he said, bowing as he exited the room. "Follow me," he told them, and Kasumi and Manwein got up and rushed to follow him, not wanting to spend another moment in the king's presence. 

As she walked out of the courtyard, and back into the palace, Kasumi smiled, there was still hope, and if there was none, at least she had a longer time to pretend there was. She followed Aegnorion down the hall, and smiled up at Manwein, who too, looked very grateful. 

They stopped and entered a room, where several she-elves gathered sewing. 

"Lauriana, the king has a chore for you," he said, and one of the ladies stood up and walked toward them. 

"Ah, yes. One of the ladies who had stayed to listen to report has already told me what the king had ordered," she said. She looked at Kasumi and Manwein and smiled. "Yes, I already have your rooms ready," she said to them, and they followed her down the hall. 

They scaled a set of stairs and two more corridors before she finally stopped. She opened the door of one of the many rooms, and looked at Manwein. "These shall be your rooms, I believe there is a fresh set of clothing on your bed, and if you should need anything there are many of my helpers rushing about, so just call for them if the need should arise. There is a hot bath ready in one of your chambers," she told him. Then instructed him to be ready for dinner in a few hours.

Manwein nodded and entered the room, before he closed the door, he looked at Kasumi, and smiled. He had never been treated this finely before.

Kasumi smiled back, then trailed after Lauriana down the hall. At the next door they stopped, and Lauriana opened the door. 

"Step inside, dear lady. There are several handmaidens waiting to fix you up. If you have any questions please feel free to ask," she told her.

Kasumi opened her mouth, wondering if she should ask what was on her mind. 

"Yes, I already know what you have been thinking, and the answer is no. You are now guests here, no longer captives," she assured her. 

Kasumi smiled and thanked her, then entered the room.

"I will back soon with a choice of clothing for you," Lauriana said, as she shooed Kasumi into her chambers.

She stepped into the room, and closed the door behind her. She gaped in awe, the room she was in was beautiful. There was silvery-blue drapery everywhere, and when a breeze came through the window, every inch of material fluttered. On every tabletop there were candles, and their glow was ample, and flooded every corner of the room, yet as if by magic the light was soft on the eyes.

The room seemed to be a sitting room, and there stood several wooden chairs, adorned with silk pillows in different hues of blue, silver, and lavender. She walked into the room on the right, and she was even more amazed. Even her bedroom in he palace was never as lush as this one was. The bed was covered in silken sheets in the same shades as the sitting room was adorned in, and everything else, she discovered, were in the same shades.

There were pillows on the floor next to the bed, and a large bay window that let the moonlight shine on everything, giving the room an enchanting glow. Steam floated out of a door to her left, and she entered it cautiously...

******************************************************************************

Wow, I wish my room was like that. Well, will they be fortunate to survive another day? Or will the king amuse himself with their suffering?

Well, as I told you Becca (ElVeNdEsTiNy) I have a small birthday present, so...well, I wouldn't really call it a b-day present, more like...an advertisement: Hi everyone!!!! Well, if you haven't read it yet, there's a really, really, really, really good fic called Blood Red Rose For Legolas, by ElVeNdEsTiNy, so check it out! Or die!! Lol.

Well, I know it's not much Becca, lol...Namarie!

~*~*~Cutheniel Yavadren~*~*~ 


	16. The Enchanted Banquet

It'z been a while since i updated, huh? Well, hopefully this pretty long chapter will make up fo' it. I have to warn you that there is slight kissin, not much detail, but nonetheless there is kissing. Well, enjoy...

******************************************************************************

The mist cleared, and Kasumi stared at her surroundings. The room consisted of black marble floors, and the same columns that she saw in the other rooms. In the center of the room was a large bath, which looked more like a small pool, about six feet long, and four feet wide. There were many elves kneeling by it, tossing in rose petals, and they all soon took notice of her.

"Hello dear," one of them greeted her, as she stood up. "You must be Kasumi, our new guest. Your bath is ready, and those vases there," she pointed to a row of silver containers by the bath. "Are filled with your soaps and oils." She clapped her hands twice, and all of the others exited the room, "That is all, thank you ladies." She turned back to Kasumi, "After you bathe yourself, there will be several ladies in your bedroom waiting to show you your clothing, then you will head down to the banquet hall. I hope to see you there," she bid Kasumi farewell, and exited, shutting the door. 

Kasumi, raised her brow, amusing herself with the irony of her situation. She had run away to be free, and to escape being waited on, and now she was captured, not free, and was once again being waited on. 

'O well,' she thought, walking toward the bath. It's fresh smell was too tempting, and the week's dirt on her body urged her to jump in, right there and then. She tossed her clothes into a neat pile next to the bath, and slipped in. 

She sighed as the dirt washed away, and rubbed the water along her arms. The petals proved to be a slight difficulty though, they stuck to her skin, and entwined in her hair. She shrugged, and decided that she didn't care, and the smell was pleasing anyway. 

She opened the vase of soap, and sniffed it. The scent of lavender seeped through her nose, and memories flooded her head: her second day free, the bath incident with Manwein. She laughed and shook her head, it had been so long since then, and they had grown up so much. She shook away the thought, and resumed to lathering the soap on her body.

Her thoughts returned to Manwein, and she wondered if he was being treated as well as she was. She realized something just then, it was a thought that her mind had tried to avoid, it was about Manwein. She admitted that she had strong feelings for him, but she had always thought of it as a friendly feeling, but now...She shook her head. It couldn't be, she loved Legolas.

'Maybe it's just a phase,' she thought, rinsing off the soap. 'I probably just miss Legolas so much. I'm so confused.' She splashed water onto her face, hoping that it would help her think straight. However the thought remained lingering in her mind. 'Is it possible to have two loves?' she considered. She had never heard of such thing, and the idea seemed impossible, but lots of things had seemed impossible to her before now.

She thought of Legolas, and she thought of Manwein, comparing the feelings she felt when she was around either one of them. They both were the same, and if having two loves was impossible, then Kasumi felt the impossible. She pouted suddenly, she could not have both of them, she could never have both of them, but now wasn't the time to choose. Her fingers were soaked down to the bone, so she stepped out, and wrapped the towel around her body. 

She pulled the drain from the bottom of the tub, and watched as the rose, and bubble filled water swirled down. Kasumi grabbed her clothes, and rushed into the next room, hoping that she didn't leave a trail of water behind her, and that if she did it wouldn't be too much of a problem. 

She was met by five ladies, and they approached her quickly with warm, fluffy towels. They dried her body from head to toe, and threw her a new pair of undergarments. 

"Please slip on these miss," the lady requested. 

Kasumi slipped into the lower undergarments, and soon realized that they had given her none for her upper body, she figured that they probably meant not to. Then she stood before them for further instructions. They handed her a dark midnight blue gown, made of silk, and she stared at it in wonder. It was made to resemble the night sky, with its dark blue background and silver little dots adorned on it like stars. 

It had been handed to her in a bundle, and she unwrapped it slowly, then gasped at how little of the fabric there really was. She held it up, and looked at the ladies. 

"Are all these holes meant to be here?" she asked skeptically. 

They nodded. "The weather shifts from time to time, and tonight is foretold to be very warm," one of them told her. "When you go outside you'll be glad."

Kasumi nodded her head, not wanting to argue. They knew more about their land than she did anyway, and she did not want to be an inconvenience to these ladies who have so far treated her as a guest.

She attempted several times to put it on, but soon gave up, clueless as to how it was to be worn. One of the ladies dismissed the others so that they could get themselves ready as well, and giggled as Kasumi once again failed on putting it on correctly. 

She directed the dress over Kasumi's head, and when she was through Kasumi cringed at the amount of skin that it left unadorned. 

Kasumi turned to mirror on the wall and gasped at the shocking sight she saw. This fit around her tightly, hugging at her form. There were slits at edge of her skirt stretching all the way to the tops of her thighs, and slits at her sleeve all the way to her shoulders, which were tied only at her elbow, and upper shoulder. However, what most appalled her was the drop of the neck line, the fabric was gathered together and fell in folds, which is not what bothered her, it dropped all the way to the middle of her stomach, revealing a slightly wide strip of her skin between her bosom, and that is what appalled her.

She folded her hands across her chest, trying hard to cover herself up. She squeezed her legs together, and no mater how much she tried it was impossible to cover up all her skin. 

Kasumi stared at the lady, her face reflecting embarrassment, and distress. "Must I really go outside in this...," she thought of what to call it, for it surely could not be considered a dress. "...tablecloth?" she spurted out.

The lady smiled and nodded. "Yes," she told Kasumi, walking towards her. "Why are you so modest? Beauty is a girl's best asset, and you yourself are very beautiful. Why would you not want to show it off?" she asked her, obviously stunned at her modesty.

"I can think of many reasons why," Kasumi said. She was confused, these elves lived so differently than any she knew, but maybe they didn't. Maybe she was not accustomed to these ways because of her restricted life in the palace, but she knew it would do her no good to argue, so she finally surrendered, and agreed to wear the garment.

'It could have been worse,' she reminded herself. 'Their custom could have been to not conceal their chests at all. Which I am very glad it wasn't.'

"Your pendant," the lady said, pointing to the gem dangling from her neck. 

Kasumi shook her head vigorously. "No," she insisted . "You cannot take it."

The lady laughed. "Do not worry, I had no intent of taking it. It is just that you cannot wear it now."

"Why not?" Kasumi asked, grasping it.

She opened a case, which held a set of jewelry. "The King has sent you a gift, and a gift from the King is very rare."

Kasumi gave in, and placed the pendant into a small box the lady had given to her. The lady handed her a necklace made of mithril, and from it hung a sizeable lavaliere made of a dark blue gem, and carved into a star. She held it between her fingers, and stared at the lady questioningly. 

"It is a rare jewel that is native only to the mountains around our land. We call it Daelena 'Shadow of the Stars'. There is a story behind it, and if I have the time I will tell you it later," she said, walking behind Kasumi to clasp the chain around her neck. 

Kasumi looked at it in the mirror, and loved the way it rested at her chest. She slipped several bangles onto each of her arms, each encrusted with the same stone. She groaned exasperatedly as the lady handed her a set of anklets. It seemed ridiculous to wear so much jewelry, and Kasumi feared that the weight of it all would make her fall through the floor. However, once she had all of the jewelry on: the bracelets, the necklace, and the anklets, she realized that the weight was light, and no where near overpowering. 

The lady then stood behind her and combed her hair. "I will leave your tresses down, and just braid in little gems. Is that fine with you miss?" she asked, as she brushed out Kasumi's long straight hair.

"Yes, that would be nice. Thank you so much for your kindness, and help," Kasumi said, looking at the lady in the mirror. She admitted to herself that she did in fact like the way the dress, and jewelry made her look, and thought that maybe staying here wouldn't be all too bad, as long as she was still alive.

The lady finished, and Kasumi looked at her hair in the mirror. It reached down to the middle of her back, and sparkled slightly from the gems braided in. 

"Thank you, very much," Kasumi told her. "By the way, what is your name?"

"Kaeliona," she answered, with a sweet smile. She was slightly taller than Kasumi, and looked to be about Maliana's age.

Kasumi sighed, she missed Maliana, her good friend, and...Legolas. She longed to return to her loved-ones deeply, and though some of her life free, had been wonderful , she wanted so badly to return.

"I must go now, Kasumi, and prepare myself for dinner as well. Do you remember Lauriana?" Kaeliona asked. Kasumi nodded. "She will come and escort you to dinner, I hope to see you there," She said, as she exited.

"As will I," Kasumi called after her, and thanked her.

Kasumi plopped down onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. A sick feeling grew in her stomach, and she suddenly realized how much she missed all of the people she once knew. But then again, it could have just been the sick feeling of doubt she had, because of not knowing what would happen to her in this dark city.

She laid there on the bed, for what seemed like a lifetime to her, reminiscing every moment of her life that she could remember. Some made her smile, and some even made her laugh, but there were some that made her eyes well up, and water. She sat up suddenly, as she heard a knock at the door.

Kasumi got up and walked to the outer room, and opened the door. A familiar elf stood their, and Kasumi greeted Lauriana warmly. 

"Ah, I see you have received the gift from the King," she noticed as she walked inside. "Do you like your attire?"

Kasumi gave her a weak smile. "Well...," she couldn't think of anyway to explain.

"It is too revealing for you?" Lauriana asked, as if she had read her mind. 

Kasumi nodded, looking relieved that she need not explain.

"Yes, we are very different from the elves you know of in the outer realms. However, you must agree that is very comfortable once you are accustomed to it?" she asked.

Kasumi couldn't deny it, the way the dress hung loosely around her made her feel free, and the fact that it was secured around her body so that it would remain in place, comforted her doubts. She smiled innocently and agreed.

"I thought so," Lauriana said. "Well, we better be off. I want to get you there early, so I can get you acquainted with some of the King's close friends, and later on I will bring you to meet the King."

Kasumi followed her into the hall, and walked close to Lauriana so she would not get lost. 

"Um, Lauriana?" Kasumi asked shyly.

The lady turned to her, "What is it?"

"My friend, where is he?"

"He should be there already, you'll see him in time," Lauriana assured her. 

Kasumi followed her down several flights of stairs, until they came to the floor where she had been earlier. They passed by the open courtyard where Kasumi had seen the King, and after several turns, and walks down hallways, they arrived a large wood door engraved with pictures of elves eating, dancing, and being entertained. 

There were two guards, each at one end of the door, and they grasped the handles and slowly opened the entrance. 

Kasumi followed Lauriana in, and before them was a wide stairs, reaching down to a large dining hall, filled with rows of tables. There were already others there, filling up the first few tables, engaging each other in conversation. From one of the tables Kasumi caught a glimpse of Manwein waving at her, and she smiled back.

Lauriana lead her down the steps, and guided her to the largest table at the front of the room. Manwein was seated in the chair one seat away from what seemed to be the King's throne, and he pulled out the chair next to him, the one closest to the throne, and beckoned her to sit. Lauriana nodded, and left Kasumi there for the time being. 

Kasumi sat down, and smiled widely at Manwein, she hugged him tightly, and sat back down. "I'm so glad you are here in on piece," she admitted.

"As am I," he said. "Did they treat you well?"

"Indeed. It feels so good to be clean again, but I am not too fond of this dress," she said, standing up to show him her attire. 

Manwein looked her up and down, and laughed merrily. "I see nothing wrong with it," he joked. 

Kasumi gave him a stern look, and he stopped.

"It is not all too bad," he said truthfully. "You look beautiful in it."

Kasumi smiled, and her face blushed a light pink. She sat back down, and looked at Manwein. They had dressed him in a shade of blue slightly darker than that of her dress. He had on a lightweight tunic, with silver leaves and vines sewn into the fabric. His leggings were a dark brown shade, and made of a sturdy fabric. 

"Well, you have no reason to complain. Your attire is very acceptable," she told him.

"Yes, but I must admit, I have never worn anything so fine in all my life," he confessed. "However, you must be accustomed to such apparel, considering your early life in a palace."

Kasumi turned away, his tone of voice suggested that he was attempting to pry into her past life, and she didn't feel all too comfortable telling him about it, though she didn't quite know why. "Yes, their treatment was very similar, to that of the palace," she answered calmly, not wanting to go on with the conversation. 

He nodded understandingly, seeing that her happy expression had faded, and her eyes went blank when he mentioned her old home. 

Kasumi looked around and saw that the room was now filled, and that their table was fully occupied. She turned to look at the other elves, and found that every one had dark features, except one. A sudden glint caught her eye, and her eyes fell upon an elf with golden brown hair, his hair was cut short, only about an inch away from his scalp. He turned around, and Kasumi was surprised to find that his face was familiar. 

"Kasumi!" he called with delight, as he saw her. Haydn stood from his original seat, and went to sit in the seat before her. He stretched over the table, and took her hand. "You cannot imagine what a joy it is to see you once more," he told her as he lightly kissed her hand.

Kasumi smiled widely. "Haydn, if I am not mistaken it has only been several hours," she informed him. 

He took a seat, and laughed. "Yes, I know, but it is such a relief to see another light featured elf," he confessed.

Kasumi took a look around, they were the only elves in the whole room with light hair, and now that she thought of it, it was relieving to not be the only one. "Well, I must admit, it is a comfort to see a familiar face," she replied smiling yet again. Then she realized that Manwein had been silent the whole time, and she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. His face was straight, and his right hand was gripping the edge of the table. 'Oh no, not again,' she thought as she realized he was getting protective again. 

Haydn noticed this too, and turned to greet him. "Ah, my friend, you must be hungry, and I assure you that by the end of the night you will be well satisfied, I have heard that today's hunt went well, and we will have much to feast on," he said, trying to engage him in conversation. 

Kasumi said no more, and left it to Haydn to distract Manwein from his ill temper. She listened as they discussed different hunting techniques, and just as she was beginning to space off into deep thought, the sound of horns filled the room, and the room went silent as the finishing fanfare echoed off the walls, then the sound was carried off by a gentle breeze sliding through the open balconies on each side of the room. 

From the grand staircase descended the dark king in all his terrible greatness. Everyone in the room stood as he passed, which confused Kasumi. In all her days in the palace King Thranduil had never requested for them to stand in his presence, for he was a very humble ruler, and requesting for them to stand as he passed suggested that this king enjoyed his power very much. Kasumi stood up from her seat, and waited as the King made his way to the front table and stood at the seat beside her. He took a look around the great hall, and when he was pleased with what he saw he raised his hands above his head, and summoned the elves to bring in the food. He lowered his arms, took a seat, and raised his goblet, which an elf soon filled with red wine, then in a loud, booming voice he greeted everyone merrily, "Now let us feast!"

Everyone then took a seat, and Kasumi watched as food was distributed to every table, and people began to eat while discussing the highlights of their day. 

A platter of assorted fowl was set in the center of their table, and before Kasumi could decline, her goblet was filled with wine. Other various meats were set upon the table, along with a mixture of vegetables and fruits, and though she tried to contain herself, Kasumi's mouth watered slightly. A range of smells filled the air, and soon the room was choked with the aroma of herbs, and spices. 

Haydn noticed her reaction to the meal, and he laughed amusedly. "If you are so smitten with this, I should advise you to leave room for dessert," he warned her, then turned to Manwein. "Tomorrow I'm joining the hunt, would it be in your interest to come as well?"

Manwein smiled at the invitation, excited to join others in a hunt, for it had been so long since he had had others with him. "Do you think I could decline?" he said, and soon the two were carried off in their discussion. 

Kasumi placed a small fowl onto her plate, along with several vegetables, and she began to consume it, trying hard not to show how hungry she really was. 

"Won't you try the wine?" a deep voice beside her asked. 

Kasumi tensed, and looked from the corner of her eye at the seat at her left. During her eager consumption of her food, the fact that she was sitting by the Dark King himself left her mind. She turned to face him slowly. 

"It came from our very own vineyards, and I hear it was bottled in a very good year," he said to her, his voice deep and placid. 

Kasumi tried to remain as calm and easygoing as he, and shook her head slightly. "Strangely enough, I am not too fond of wine, though since you suggest it I'll give it a try," she replied smiling. She took the goblet between her fingers, and placed the rim to her lips, letting the liquid slide slowly down the cup and into her throat. The taste was think, and was not as bitter as most wines she had tried before, but instead had a slightly sweet flavor. She smiled at him, "Well, your right, it is the best wine I have ever tasted."

"Thank you, we try our best," he told her. "In fact, the grapes pressed into this wine were specially grown to suit every person's taste."

Kasumi looked at him questioningly. "Do you mean to imply that this wine is...," she hesitated. 

"Enchanted?" he asked. He nodded, and smiled at her surprise. "Yes, you could say I have a little influence in almost everything here." 

Kasumi's fingers fell upon the chain of the lavaliere hanging about her neck. 

The King's gaze feel upon it, and he nodded. "Yes, that as well is under my influence. That stone can only be found in the mountains around this land."

"Well, thank you, it truly is beautiful," she told him, and excused herself from conversation so that she could finish her food. 

Once everyone had finished their food, the empty platters were taken away, and individual platters of dessert were taken in. 

Just as Haydn had promised, the desserts looked delicious. It was a warm souffle type cake, sprinkled with sugar, and topped with a heavy cream and an assortment of berries. Kasumi licked her lips lightly as the sweet aroma filled her senses. 

"Now don't you agree that saving your appetite for dessert was a smart thing to do?" Haydn asked, looking hungrily at his own tantalizing platter. 

Kasumi nodded eagerly, and picked up her fork. She pulled off a piece, and dipped it in the cream, along with some fruit, and held it before her mouth. 

The King beside her noticed her hesitation. "Do not worry yourself, the only influence I had was on the berries, and that was just for them to grow juicy, so you can enjoy your dessert without having to worry about anymore strange enchantments," he assured her. 

Kasumi sighed in relief, and devoured the delicacy on her fork. Her eyes grew wide, and she instantly loved it, and in the most dignified manner she could force herself into, she consumed her dessert, and when she was through, she was, indeed, very satisfied. 

Soon after everyone had finished, all the plates and goblets were taken away. Everyone then stood, and the tables and chairs were taken and set to the side of the room. Musicians began to play lively music, and some elves paired up to dance, while others sat at the table to consume more wine. 

Kasumi followed Manwein to a nearby table, and stood next to him as he took a seat. 

"Did you enjoy your meal Kasumi?" he asked her curiously. 

"I certainly did, what did you think of it?"

"The finest meal I have ever had," he admitted. "Were the meals in the palace like this?" he asked, only remembering afterwards, her feelings about the palace. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she stopped him.

"They were somewhat similar to this, the food is to some extent different, however," she told him, her voice calm and peaceful. 

"Did you ever dance there?"

"I did, but I haven't in a while," she confessed. 

He stood up. "Would you care to show me how to?" he asked, holding his hand out. "I've never done it before."

Kasumi smiled shyly, and nodded. "I suppose I could see if I still remember how to," she said, letting him take her hand. 

He walked her out to the middle of the floor, and put his other hand on her waist. "That is all I know about dancing, so you'll have to start from there."

Kasumi put her other hand on his shoulder, and slowly showed him the steps. She soon found that Manwein was good on his feet, and before long he had mastered the step. Their feet moved quickly, for the music was light and vigorous, and in a little while, both of them were dizzy. 

The song soon ended, and Manwein walked her back to a table. 

Kasumi laughed, as she caught her breath, and Manwein sat down to have a drink. 

"I must admit that it is harder than it looks," Manwein said once he compiled himself. 

"I can't remember the last time I ever danced that fast," she told him, as she brushed several strands of hair away from her face. 

"Did you used to dance with him?" Manwein inquired suddenly.

"Did I used to dance with who?" Kasumi asked, already knowing the answer.

"Legolas, the Prince," Manwein said. "Did you ever dance with him?"

Kasumi sighed, saddened that he had brought up the subject of the Prince. "Yes, in fact I did used to dance with him, almost always with him, but not in a long time have I danced with anyone. Until tonight, of course," she added with a smile, causing his eyes to sparkle slightly. 

She watched from the corner of her eye as Manwein's hand inched closer to hers, an uncomfortable feeling rising from deep within her. She stood suddenly, just as his fingers were about to grasp her own. "I think I'll go outside for awhile, just for a small breath of fresh air, then when I come back maybe I can teach you another step," She said, and he nodded, smiling.

Kasumi strolled to the opposite side of the grand room, and walked outside into the courtyard. The night sky was alive with billions of twinkling stars, and the moon's shine was softened slightly by the mist, creating a beautiful affect. 

'Another work of the Wizard King, I suppose,' Kasumi thought to herself, as she paced across the garden. She walked through a small labyrinth of hedges, each blooming beautiful white flowers, the aroma filling the air. As she sauntered calmly through the maze, she stopped suddenly, as the sound of flowing water reached her ears. She followed the sound, curious to find what emitted it. 

She stopped as she approached what seemed to be a dead end, but the sound echoed strongly from that area. At the corner of the surrounding hedges was a cluster of vines, budding little purple flowers, creating a waterfall-like effect. She slowly parted the vines, and stepped in warily. 

She gasped as she looked about her. She was in the very middle of the labyrinth, a beautiful garden of many different beautiful flowers. In the middle of the garden was a white stone fountain, which was the source of the sound, and to the left of it, was an enclosed arbor, made of the very same stone. She walked towards it, running her hands through the water of the fountain as she passed by it. Kasumi slowly scaled the steps of the arbor and smiled as she was greeted by a familiar face. 

"I was wondering when someone would find me here," Haydn said in an amused voice. 

"Why so? Are you the only person who knows of this place?" Kasumi inquired, walking towards him.

"Well I was, now it's only the two of us that know about it," he told her, beckoning for her to sit beside him on the white stone bench. 

"Why is that?" Kasumi asked curiously.

"This place was made a long time ago, even before the current King began his reign. He knows nothing of it, I have hid it from him, I am afraid of what he might do to it. It is already a magical place, it has no need for the King's sorcery," he told her, seemingly uncaring that he had just committed an act of treason against his king.

"It is magical," Kasumi admitted, gazing at the garden around her. 

"Would you like to know why I know of this place when no one else does?" he asked, enticing her into conversation.

"Do tell."

Haydn stood, and paced around the inside of the arbor. "My father showed it to me, a little before the reign of the Dark King. He told me not to speak a word about it to anyone, not unless they stumble upon it themselves. Like you have," he noted, stopping for a second, then continued. "He brought my mother here, the very first day they met. He even proposed to her here, on the exact same night."

He stopped pacing, and stood before her. Resting his hand on her face, cradling her cheek in his palm, as he lowered his face to hers. 

Kasumi smiled, and put her hand over his. "You're not proposing to me are you?" she asked teasingly.

He smiled back. "No, but if you allow me to, I want to kiss you," he whispered.

"I do," she said softly.

He inclined his head toward hers, pulling her face closer with his hand, his other hand caressing her back, pulling her whole body closer to him as well. 

Kasumi closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around his neck, as his lips touched hers. They embraced each other, holding the kiss for a long time, and when they finally parted, Kasumi realized how much trouble that kiss had just caused her. 

Haydn's eyes twinkled happily...just like Manwein's. Kasumi knew that she should leave, that it was only going to get worse if she let herself get attached to Haydn, just like she had gotten attached to Manwein, but her body wouldn't budge, and she remained still as Haydn gathered the courage to kiss her again. 

After kissing her one last time, Haydn frowned and sighed. 

"What is it, Haydn?" Kasumi asked curiously, disappointed that he had stopped. 

"We should be heading back, before anyone starts wondering," he warned.

"Who would notice?" 

"Your friend, Manwein," he said, and Kasumi agreed, he would notice if she did not come back soon.

She stood and kissed him one last time, as she headed back to the grand hall, Haydn following several steps behind her, so as not to seem suspicious when they walked back in. Kasumi recovered slightly from the disappointment, and as she walked in she immediately sought after Manwein. 

Before the night was over, Kasumi and Manwein had danced three more times. Haydn and Kasumi avoided each other for the rest of the night, and soon everyone retired back to their rooms. Both Kasumi and Manwein relieved that they had gotten through the night alive without being executed or tortured. 

******************************************************************************

Yea, I kno dat it doesn't seem rite fo' Kasumi to like Legolas, Manwein, _and_ Haydn, but it'z not like she can control her feelings. Think about all she'z been through, and her lack of control will also be explained in later chapterz. Besidez, ppl do have tha rite to like more than one person, but it'z gonna be hard fo' me to decide which guy she chooses. So if u wanna find out, review, cuz tha more reviewz i get, tha more i write. Bye fo' now! 


	17. In the Heat of the Moment

Wow!!!!!! It'z been sooo long since i've written anything. Since February i think! Well I'm bak, cuz it'z summa 'n i've got alotta tyme on my handz. But i gotta see if i can find the writer in me again, it must be hibernating...o well, without further ado (is dat how you say/spell it?) CHP. 17!!!!!!

******************************************************************************

Kasumi awoke to the sound of larks, twittering the melody of the rising sun. She squinted her eyes as she adjusted to all the light flooding into the room from the balcony and windows. She sat up in bed and pushed her hair away from her face. Getting out of bed, Kasumi went out to the balcony. 

The streets of the city were already bustling with life and she could see many of the palace workers rushing through the palace courtyards. 

"Good morning malady."

Kasumi whirled around in surprise to find Kaeliona standing there, a dress cradled in her arms. "Good morning to you as well," Kasumi replied with a smile. "When am I expected at breakfast?" she asked, assuming that their customs were alike to those of the Mirkwood elves. 

Kaeliona laughed kindly. "Do not worry malady..."

"Please, call me Kasumi."

"As you wish, Kasumi," she obviously bewildered at the kindness of the guest toward servants. "Here in Gwathdore, we only gather for the dinner banquet. For breakfast and the mid-day meal we eat at our own convenience in the small gathering rooms where the kitchen has prepared laid out food. So you can go whenever you wish to."

Kasumi stood there amused, but pleased at this custom, she had wanted to do something before she ate. "Would it be acceptable if I wondered 'round the grounds Kaeliona?"

"Of course, I could even request a guide to show you around if you wish."

Kasumi shook her head. "No thank you, that will not be necessary, I only wish to explore the palace."

"Do as you wish, just do not leave the palace without informing the guards, so they know to let you back in. I will leave a dress for you on the bed and will look forward to seeing you before the dinner gathering." Kaeliona curtsied a farewell.

"As will I," Kasumi responded as she exited the her chambers. 

Kasumi returned inside and held up the dress Kaeliona left on the bed. It was of a soft, light, neutral colored fabric. The sleeves were made to hang at below her shoulders and the skirt's layers ruffled out slightly. She was also given an orange sash, embroidered with designs of gold thread to tie around her waist. 

After changing into the new attire, Kasumi looked at it in the mirror, pleased by the way it fit on her. It showed of her shoulders and the skirt danced around her legs as she moved. She attached her sword, Brethil, to her sash, and hid a dagger in each of her boots. She combed out her hair, and after deciding to leave it down, left the room. 

Strolling down the halls of the palace, she arrived at one of the palace's many open courtyards, this one, was being used for combat training. She leaned against a column and watched as many skilled and unskilled fighters sparred against one another, and soon she could not hold back the urge to join them and show them that she was just as good if not any better. 

She stepped boldly in to the courtyard, and every soldier's eye watched her amused. The captain approached her and greeted her kindly, though she could see he was fighting back his desire to laugh.

"Good morning to you. Have you come to watch us, some of the greatest warriors in Mirkwood, train?" he asked, his words drowned in mockery. 

Kasumi forced herself to smile as cynically, and sweetly as she could as answered. "No good sir, I have come to show your mediocre soldiers a thing or two about swordplay," she said, her voice cheerful, so as to contradict her words.

Seeing that she was serious, the captain, humored by this determined girl, ordered one of his soldiers to fetch her a sword. He handed one to her, but she declined, and swiftly brandished Brethil from its sheath. 

The soldiers chuckled as they caught sight at her choice in weapons. Her sword was thin and looked as fragile and delicate as it's wielder. 

The captain ordered one of his weaker soldiers to step up and her face her, "Show her what it takes to be a warrior!" The courtyard was drowned in laughter as the soldier took a sword and stood, ready to fight their unexpected guest. 

The captain circled the Kasumi and her opponent. "The rules are as such: You must use only the sword you have chosen, mortal combat is allowed, first one caught in a fatal position loses. The match starts on three! One...two...three!"

The soldier struck first and Kasumi blocked his blow easily. Their swords met high in the air, each blow sending a loud ring across the courtyard. Kasumi stooped low and kicked at his ankles, brining him down, with a strike of her sword, Kasumi sent her opponent's weapon flying from his hand. She caught it by the hilt, and pointed both swords at the neck of the disarmed soldier. Her boot pinning him to the ground. She smiled sardonically at the astonished soldier, dropped his sword next to him and helped him up. 

The captain approached her, irritated that a lady had beat one of his men. "Would you care to fight a more skilled soldier?" he asked, hoping to bring her down so he could regain his dignity.

"I would love to fight your soldiers, even if it means fighting every single one of them to find a worthy opponent," she said, her voice sweet and polite. 

"Very well then," he grunted at one of his higher rank soldiers, and they stepped onto the floor. 

Her new opponent was heavily built, with a strong jaw and set eyebrows. His eyes gleamed and his smile was wicked, reflecting his determination to defeat her. He brandished a large, steel sword from the rack , and stood in a fighting stance as the captain circled them, announcing that the rules were the same.

"One...two...three!!!"

The soldier swung his sword with so much force that Kasumi stumbled back as her sword blocked the blow. He pushed his blade closer to her neck as she struggled to push back. Now bending in a strenuous angle, Kasumi kicked at her opponent's knee and he stumbled back, releasing her from her dangerous position. She swung Brethil at him, but he quickly caught his balance and swung back. A ear-shattering ring resonated from both swords, and all eyes shot down as a loud bang hit the ground. Half a blade laid on the stone ground, and the other half was still clutched by the dumbstruck soldier. 

Kasumi kicked the flat side of the remaining blade and it flew over her head and she smiled at her opponent as she heard it fall on the ground behind her. She slowly moved the tip of her sword in front of his chest, pressing it gently against his heart. The soldier scowled angrily, and marched out of the courtyard in embarrassment. 

Whoops and cheers echoed in the courtyard as the soldiers took a liking to this new challenge. Kasumi smiled shyly, this was more fun than she had thought, and her smile grew wider as she looked around her. Every soldier was cheering and shouting, acknowledging her skill. Among them was Manwein who had stumbled upon the scene during the first fight, he smiled at her proudly and she went to greet him.

"I see you're having a enjoyable morning," he said as she approached him. 

Kasumi nodded. "An enjoyable morning..." she stopped mid-sentence as he embraced he warmly. "...indeed." She finished her sentence and embraced him back. 

He let her go, and smiled at her, in that boyish way he always did. 

She couldn't help but smile back, but realizing she was being called back into the arena she turned to go. "Well, I think I have to go back now."

He nodded in acknowledgement, "You should hurry before they get annoyed. I'll be right here."

She rushed back into the middle of the courtyard, confused at what they wanted her to do. Suddenly, a hand touched her shoulder, and she turned her head in shock. It was Haydn. 

"You are very skilled with a sword Kasumi. My companions want to see you fight some more, would you care to take on more challengers? I believe you are more than capable of defeating them all anyhow," he told her, smiling. 

Kasumi politely smiled back, very much aware that Manwein was watching them closely from amidst the crowd. She turned her eyes down and brought her voice down to a whisper. "Manwein is in the crowd," she told him. "Don't look up!" she warned as his eyes began to shift upwards to scan the crowd. "Please, I beg of you, when others are around, pretend what happened last night never happened." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Please don't take it hurtfully, I just don't want him to have a grudge towards you." 

She looked up at him, and he stared at her understandingly, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "Don't fret so much, my request only applies while others around," she told him in hopes of cheering him up...it worked.

He smiled happily and nodded understandingly. "Then I eagerly await for another time I can be with you," after his reply, he set his expression into a strong, merry look, and raised her hand into the air. "Our champion accepts any and all challengers who wish to fight her! Pick a weapon of your choice and step into the arena if you wish to try your luck!"

Kasumi suddenly remembered why she was here, and smiled eagerly as another opponent approached her. 

"The rules are the same!" Haydn announced. "On the count of three the match starts! One...two...three!"

Kasumi swiftly lifted Brethil to block the first blow...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Laughing happily, Kasumi plopped her exhausted body onto the bench and slumped her arms over the table. Manwein sat beside her, congratulating her on her new reputation of undefeated champion. 

As they sat at a table, many others came to congratulate her, some who had watched the match and others who had heard of what had happened. Kasumi could only smile, and that too was tiring. She had spent the whole morning defending her new title, and had done it all without a bite of breakfast. Now that the mid-day meal had finally come upon them she was eagerly awaiting some nourishment for her numb muscles. 

"I hardly think those fights were fair, all those soldiers were no match for you, and you knew it too!" Manwein said, praising her yet again.

Kasumi turned to face him, but suddenly groaned in pain, clutching her side. She bent over, her eyes shut tightly as a pain shot through her body. 

Manwein looked at her worried. "What is it?"

Kasumi opened her eyes to look at him, and gave him a weak smile. "It is nothing, I am sure I'll be better after some rest. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll pass this meal as well." She swiftly stood up, and walked away, her face no loner showing any signs of pain. 

Manwein stared as she walked away, knowing that she didn't want him to follow. Suddenly a great amount of worry struck him as he noticed that a side of her orange sash was soaked red with blood. He fought every urge in him to follow her, she was very independent, and did not liked to be the source of anyone's worry. 

He sat there, gazing at his food. The feeling of hunger replaced by a great worry for Kasumi, and he forced himself to sit there, as if nothing was wrong. 

Manwein began to look about him, noticing that almost everyone was talking about the she-elf warrior that was staying in Gwathdore, including the elf that had accompanied them to the Dark Realm...Haydn. Manwein stared at him heatedly, watching as he talked with his companions about this morning's events. 

Manwein clutched his fists tightly, his muscles straining harder and harder as he watched him. Every time the name 'Kasumi' was mentioned the elf's eyes would light up in a way that was very familiar to Manwein himself. Soon his whole arm was shaking with strain, his hand so tightly clutched that the circulation of his blood became blocked and his hand became numb. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As soon as Kasumi was sure that the hall was empty she broke into a run and rushed to her room. Once inside she immediately untied her sash and stared at her wound. In one of the later matched her opponent's blade had struck her so quickly that nobody noticed, and in the heat of the moment Kasumi hadn't felt it. However, now that the excitement had died down, the pain had come back, and was almost unbearable. She threw off her dress and searched for her old clothes, once she found her tunic she ripped of a strip and rushed to the bath chamber. 

There she washed out her wound and tightly tied the cloth around her. She went back inside the room, and threw on her cloak, tying it tightly around her, so it could serve as a temporary garment. Soon, the pain from her wound died down, thanks to the tightness of the makeshift bandage, and Kasumi cleaned up the clothes she had hurriedly threw on the ground. She tied attached Brethil to her cloak's cord, and headed to the door, to find Kaeliona and request a new pair of clothes. She swung open the door, and jumped when she found Haydn on the other side.

"I saw you leave the gathering room rather quickly. You looked distressed, are you feeling troubled?" he asked concerned. 

"Oh, don't worry. I was merely tired and needed some rest," she assured him. "Oh! Where are my manners? Come in, please!" she said, apologizing for being so rude.

"Your manner is in no way rude. You worry too much Kasumi, you should relax," he said as he followed her in. He looked at her closely, and noticed that she limped slightly, and was lightly tilted to relieve some weight from her left side. "Kasumi! You're wounded!"

She turned around as quickly as her burden would let her and stared at him, pretending to be perplexed. "Whatever made you think that? My legs are simply sore from all that movement."

He raised his brow amused at her attempt to hide it from him. "Do not think you can fool me, I know a wounded elf when I see one," he said, rushing towards her. He placed her left arm over his shoulder to relieve her of more weight and guided her to a seat. After he laid her onto a heavily stuffed chair, he pulled a seat closer to hers and satin front of her.

"Now tell me what happened."

Kasumi sighed, smiling she decided that there was no convincing him otherwise and told how she acquired her wound. 

"Ah, it takes a strong warrior indeed to keep fighting with a straight face when hurt," he told her, and she smiled at his praise. "By the way, I could not help but wondering how you learned how to fight with such skill. Only if you don't mind telling me of course."

Kasumi turned to look out the window, then looked back at him. "I always used to travel near the palace of Mirkwood, and I would often hide and watch the soldiers train," she lied. 

Haydn nodded, then thought. "I have seen many of the warriors of Mirkwood fight, and they are very skilled, no doubt about that. However, your skill seems to surpass that of those soldiers."

"I would also watch the Prince of Mirkwood train, his skill greatly surpasses that of the army," she explained. 

"Ahh, yes. I have heard that Prince Legolas is a very skilled swordsman, a challenge I presume you would be eager to take on if you were ever given the chance."

"Yes, it would be a great joy to see the Prince face to face, a challenge he will undoubtedly be," she said, and this time, she spoke the truth. 

Haydn stood abruptly. "I fear I have to leave, I'm expected to help train the troops. The events today have brought to our attention that are soldiers are not as strong as we had wished," he laughed at the irony that one she-elf could defeat their best warriors. 

Kasumi stood as well. "Haydn, I am curious, what position do you hold in the army?"

"I'm a captain...I'm very close to moving up to lieutenant, and I'm working very hard to do so," he replied. "But thanks to you I see that I need to train my soldiers harder, and myself as well. A troop is only as good as its captain," he admitted humbly. 

Kasumi stepped nearer to him and looked him in the eye. "I believe you will make a great lieutenant, and I know you are a great captain."

Haydn smiled and thanked her for her kindness. "You are too kind Kasumi, and I am amazed that despite that you are still strong."

"You do not what you are talking about. I am not as stro..." her words were cut off as he swept her into his arms and kissed her gently. 

Kasumi didn't struggle, she just stood there, and kissed him back, thoughts of Manwein and Legolas drifting to the farthest corner of her mind. When their lips unlocked, Haydn smiled at her and left.

Kasumi stood there, still smiling. When suddenly reality struck her once more and she scolded herself. 'Why am I like this? One moment I miss Legolas with every ounce of my soul, then I run into Manwein and become trapped in his boyish charms, and now _this_. I'm kissing a captain of the Dark Realm, who in fact does not seem as dark as any other elf here. How did I get myself stuck in this crisis? I'm hopeless aren't I? Will I keep getting attached to every kind elf I meet? Why can't I control my feelings? I just know my feelings will land me in an unwelcome predicament! Why?!'

She threw herself into a chair and held her head in her hands. Thinking about all the trouble she had caused herself. She became so asphyxiated in her grief and stress that she found herself sobbing, her head pounding with pain. All her grief escaped right then and there, and swallowed her soul whole, drowning her in all her grief and troubles, until finally she tired and dropped into a deep troubled slumber...

******************************************************************************

Okay, okay. I know a lot of you must be thinking: What the heck kinda fic is diz?! She likez three different guys! But you hafta try 'n understand, Cuth/Kas has this inner dilemma that i'll explain later on, soplease just bare with me and if u wanna tell me any of your questions, comments, complaints, etc...by reviewing, thnx!! I just want to know how you guyz like it so far, and if i need to change anything or not. 


	18. To Run Free

Hiya, I'm back again to write a new chapter, sorrie I kno I don't update as often as I usually promise, but I've been so preoccupied lately. Well, I won't keep you from the reason you came here…so here it is chapter 18…

************************************************************************

Kasumi opened her eyes and groaned as a throbbing pain filled her head. She found herself bundled up in a chair, with a terrible headache, and as soon as she remembered what had caused her grief, she shut her eyes tightly as the despair filled her heart once again. 

She was suddenly distracted from the hurt by a soft knocking at the door.

"Come in, please," Kasumi called quietly, and forced a sorrowful smile as Kaeliona stepped into the room. 

"I've come to help you prepare for dinner, Lady Kasumi," she explained as she shut the door quietly. She noticed the pained expression on her face and tilted her head in question. "Something troubles you, m'lady?"

Kasumi shook her head and faked a cheerful smile. "Not at all, it is just that this morning's excursion has drained me of my usual energy," she lied, getting up and following Kaeliona into the bedroom.

"Wait here m'lady as I draw you a hot bath," Kaeliona requested as she disappeared into the adjacent room.

Kasumi sighed and shook her head, noticing that once again, Kaeliona had ignored her request to be called Kasumi. However, she soon let it go, remembering the stubbornness of servants to uphold their duty. She sat on the edge of the bed, deciding to forget her troubles for the time being and try and enjoy herself as much as possible.

After several minutes Kaeliona stepped out of the steaming bath room. "Your bath is ready m'lady. I'll be out here waiting to show you your wardrobe," Kaeliona told her.

"I thank you," Kasumi said as she stepped toward the room. "I won't be too long." She walked into the room and vanished into the rose scented mist…

Kasumi exited the bathing room in a robe, her body dried from head to toe by the towel provided for her. 

Kaeliona smiled at her arrival and stood from her seat on the bed to show Kasumi her attire. "Here you are m'lady," she announced as she laid a dress onto the bed. 

Kasumi looked down at the dress laying on the bed, picked it up, and put it on behind the privacy of a folding screen placed in the corner. She walked back to Kaeliona and looked at the dress in the mirror. 

It was a dirty rose color, made of a sheer, satin material. It had a square neck line, with two ribbons crossing over the open space, the sleeves were short, and the shoulders belled out to the middle of her upper arm. The skirt consisted of several ruffled layers, in different shades of the original color, creating a beautiful blend of shadow and highlight. The bottom layers consisted of a stiff, white lace in order to hold up the rest of the skirt into a bell shape, where the layers of lace and ruffles cascaded down, to an inch above her knees. 

"I must admit Kaeliona, that it is a beautiful dress, but it is frightfully short," Kasumi confessed.

"I think you look wonderful in it," Kaeliona assured her. "I even scented your bath water with rose oil, just to match with it. You should not always be so modest m'lady, besides, I want you to see the gift the King has sent to you," she said, as she happily picked up a box from the bed. "The dress is a gift too, if you did not know, as well as the rest of your attire that you have acquired during your stay here. I heard from Lauriana that you get to keep everything the King has lent to you. You are very fortunate to have his favor."

"Well, it has kept me alive," Kasumi admitted.

"Yes, that is true as well," Kaeliona said, as she opened the box. 

Kasumi gasped at the beautiful adornments inside the box. There was a pair of rose shaped, crystal earrings which matched the dress, and a white lace choker, with a rose colored ribbon running through the middle and a crystal rose in the center. 

After Kaeliona had helped Kasumi put on the jewelry she reminded her that Lauriana would come and escort her down to the banquet, same as before. She then quickly helped curl several strands of her hair, and braid several strands in between with matching ribbons and actual rosebuds. Afterwards, Kaeliona bid her farewells so that she could get ready as well.

"Thank you for your help!" Kasumi called as Kaeliona left her chambers. She went to wait for Lauriana in the front sitting room, and slipped on the comfy rose leather boots that Kaeliona had left for her. The boots reached right below her knees and were laced with leather string of the same color, in a crisscross style.

It wasn't long before Kasumi heard the knock on her door, and she hurriedly rushed to meet Lauriana outside of her door. 

"You look magnificent Kasumi!" Lauriana said approvingly as she greeted Kasumi in the hallway. 

"Thank you," Kasumi said smiling widely as she followed her down the familiar path to the dining hall. 

They remained silent for the rest of the trip and when they finally reached the banquet hall they went their separate ways.

Kasumi headed down to the same long table, and sat in the seat next to the throne. 

Soon after, Manwein came to sit next to her, and he looked at her worriedly. 

"Are you feeling better?" he asked her, taking her hands in his. "I've been worried since you left."

Kasumi smiled. "I am doing much better, and I apologize for having to leave so suddenly."

"I mind not," he assured her. "I am just relieved to see you are well enough to keep me company in the midst of strangers."

"I will always be here to keep you company, despite what ever situation I might be ailed with," she told him, squeezing his hands gently. 

"That is wonderful to hear. Now if you will excuse me, I fear I have left something behind in my room," he excused himself and disappeared into the crowd. 

Kasumi sighed as he left and turned in her chair to rest her elbow on the table. 

A hand softly brushed her shoulder, and she gasped in shock, but did not turn around. "Ah, yes, finally you are free to approach."

Kasumi smiled and turned around to find Haydn, smiling widely. "I'm sorry, but thank you for waiting until he left," she said as he sat down in Manwein's seat. "I don't want him to be angry with anyone."

Haydn looked her up and down. "You look…beautiful…" he whispered as he laid a hand lightly on her cheek. 

Kasumi bowed her head and blushed the same color as her dress. "Thank you, you must have already partaken of some wine."

Haydn laughed merrily. "I must admit I have had a sip or two already, but that affects my vision in no way. It is in fact you that might make me drunk in merriness, not the wine."

Kasumi laughed lightly, then suddenly snatched his hand from her cheek. "You should leave now," she told him urgently.

Haydn's eyes widened in question, but he did not argue. "Meet me again in the same place as last night. Please, please meet me there," he begged as he quickly stood.

Kasumi nodded silently, and watched as he faded into the crowd. She quickly returned her elbow to its perch on the table and hoped that her blushing would go down.

Haydn watched from a different table as Manwein came to sit beside Kasumi once again, and he wondered curiously how she had known he was coming. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kasumi hurriedly strolled through the maze, until she reached the same hidden garden just like the night before. She saw a dark figure sitting down on the chaise in the arbor, waiting, it glanced at her and smiled widely as she approached the arbor.

"Thank you for coming, Kasumi," Haydn said happily. Taking her in his arms, and kissing her forehead. 

Kasumi wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against his chest, drowning in his warmth. She closed her eyes, and rested in his arms. In her mind she imagined them embracing in the arbor, and a sense of déjà vu flooded her thoughts. She had experienced this before, embraced in this same way, drowned in a warmth alike to this…she opened her eyes and was shocked by what she saw. Their surroundings had changed, they were surrounded by a vast forest, they were in Mirkwood, she looked up and gasped as she saw Legolas smiling down at her, embracing her tightly in his grasp. 

"Ohh…" she whispered as she melted into his arms and kissed him passionately, closing her eyes and embracing the moment. She finally pulled away from the kiss and look up to gaze into the eyes of her prince. 

…But her prince wasn't there, and neither was the forest, there was only Haydn and the garden.

Kasumi closed her eyes as tears forced themselves past her lids and leaked down her cheeks. 

Haydn gasped in surprise, confused at what was happening. "Kasumi?" he said holding her gently so that he could look at her. "What's wrong?"

Kasumi didn't have the strength to speak, so instead she shook her head and tried to stifle her tears.

"Don't worry, everything is fine," he whispered in an attempt to comfort her as she buried her face in his chest and cried. He held her close and enveloped her in his warmth, until she pulled away slowly.

Sniffling she bowed her head, still locked in his embrace. "I-I'm sorry, p-please for-forgive me," she stuttered softly. 

"No, no, don't be sorry. There is no need for me to forgive you, you have wronged me in no such way," he assured her as he kissed the top of her head. He raised her head with one finger and kissed her softly on her lips, wiping away her tears with his thumbs as he held her face. 

Kasumi struggled to force all thoughts of Legolas to the farthest corner of her mind, before she broke down and cried again. She didn't want to worry Haydn, in fact she didn't want to worry anyone. So she put on a smile and kissed Haydn back, holding him close…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kasumi entered the banquet hall, which was still filled with merry elves occupying themselves with dancing, drinking and socializing, just like she had left it. She and Haydn had separated once they had left the maze and had agreed not to see each other until the following day, so as to not arouse any suspicions Manwein might hold. 

"Manwein…" Kasumi whispered. She had left him after two dances, telling him that she needed to get some air, and now that she was back, she was eager to see him.

She finally found him sitting down, an empty goblet of wine in his hand. 

"Enjoying a drink or two, I suppose?" she joked as she sat next to him.

"Actually this is my third," he said with a chuckle. "Have you gotten your air?"

"Indeed I have, and feeling much more energized," she told him. "So would you care to dance with me again?"

"Well, I want to talk to you outside. I've been doing some thinking…" he informed her as he led her outside, and sat her down next to him on a bench, faraway from any prying ears or eyes. 

"What is it Manwein? Is something troubling you?" Kasumi asked him, hoping that it wasn't about her and Haydn. 

"I fear I cannot bear to stay here any longer Kasumi," he told her. "I long to be back at the willow, just you and me, like how it used to be. Don't you yearn for that as well?"

Kasumi had to admit, even though she felt strongly for Haydn, she could not deny the urge in her heart to be free again, and if being free meant leaving him, she decided that she could make it through life happier if she were free and happy, rather than captured and slightly happy. "Yes, I do. But what are you implying Manwein?"

"I mean to say that we should try and escape. Tonight, when the guards are drunk and merry with wine, I believe we can make it out of here. What do you think?"

The thought of being free excited her, and Kasumi forget about all logic and the fact that they really didn't have a plan. "We have to try it! I miss the freedom! I miss the willow! I miss everything Manwein!" she whispered passionately. 

"As do I, Kasumi. And I will do anything to set you free, I would fight to the death for your freedom Kasumi!" he told her grasping her hands in his. 

Kasumi freed her right hand from his grasp and touched his cheek softly. "I believe you would, Manwein. But you need not do that, we will both escape and we will both have freedom…together," she whispered and gazed into his dark eyes. 

Manwein wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. He pulled away from her gently and looked deeply into her eyes. "Once we return to the banquet hall, excuse yourself and head towards your room. Pack up all of your belongings, and wait for me at your balcony," he whispered and kissed her softly and left towards the lively banquet. 

Kasumi waited several minutes until he disappeared, and then returned to her room…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kasumi plopped onto the bed with her pack beside her. It had more in it than before, since she decided to take all of the things the King had given her, except of course for the tablecloth-like dress she had worn on the first night, and the jewelry that went with it. She still found the dress too revealing and the jewelry was much too heavy, so she folded the dress and put the jewelry in a box and left them on her dresser. However, she did decide to take with her the other two outfits, and the accessories that went with them. 

She had already changed into her old garments and was surprised at how much more comfortable she felt in her old clothes. Brethil was attached to her belt and all of her daggers and knives were hidden in their places. However, she could not remember what had happened to her bow and arrows.

'Perhaps they took it that time I fell to sleep on or trip to Gwathdore,' she supposed, but she shrugged her shoulders and decided to ask Manwein later what had happened, and if there was no way to retrieve her bow and arrows she decided that she would just take a new set from the armory before they left. 

Suddenly she remembered Kaeliona, she had been so kind and helpful to Kasumi that she did not want to leave with out at least leaving behind a note. So she grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill and scribbled down a short farewell:

__

Dear Kaeliona,

I cannot bear to leave without a small farewell. I want to thank you for all the help and kindness you have bestowed upon me. I am sorry that I must leave without saying goodbye to you in person, but I know it would be in your duty to stop me, so I am sorry that it must be this way. Namarie!

~Kasumi

Suddenly, Kasumi remembered Haydn. She had not said goodbye to him, and deep inside she longed to say it in person. However, she knew that this was impossible, so she set her face straight, determined to stay strong, and added to her note:

__

P.S.

Please give Haydn my deepest apologies, and tell him that I thank him gratefully for all the kindness and caring he has shown to me. 

Kasumi sighed, deciding to stop before she became too emotional, closing her eyes to hold back the tears as she folded the note and placed it on the table next to the tablecloth dress. 

Kasumi sat back onto the bed, slowly falling down into a laying position as she waited for Manwein. She closed her eyes and listened to the distant sounds of the on going banquet and the faint sound of the wind fluttering the light curtains. Unaware of the passing time, Kasumi unwarily went to sleep…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kasumi! Kasumi, wake up!" Manwein whispered as he shook her gently. 

"Huh? Oh!" Kasumi gasped as she realized that she had drifted to sleep. "I'm sorry."

"Are you prepared to leave?"

"Mm hm," she nodded and got up, swinging her pack over her shoulder. 

"Good. I have your bow and arrow, I found it in the armory, I knew it was yours because all the rest were crafted in the style of the Dark Elves," he handed Kasumi her weapons.

"Thank you," she put the arrows in the quiver and slipped it on, clutching her bow in her hand.

"Come," Manwein whispered. "Let us go."

The two headed out to the balcony, where Manwein took out his bow and an arrow tied to a string. "You see that wall down there, Kasumi?"

"Yes, I see it."

"That is the boundary of the palace, once we pass there unnoticed, the rest will be easy enough," he told her. "I will extend this rope over to that rooftop there, using this arrow," he said, pointing to the large building across from the guard wall. "Most of the guards are intoxicated by the effects of strong wine, so getting past them _should_ be no trouble."

"I see," Kasumi whispered, and she watched him silently as he shot the arrow. It hit its target and he picked up the excess rope and tied it securely to the balcony railing. 

"Here, I took these from the armory as well," he handed her a pair of rough leather gloves, probably used by the falconers. "It will make the trip across the rope a little less painful, and a bit easier."

"Thank you," she said and slipped them on, the once large gloves slowly formed to fit her hands perfectly and she stared at Manwein questioningly.

He shrugged and grabbed hold of the rope, tugging it to make sure it was secure. Then he swung his legs over the balcony and held the rope securely as he carried himself down the rope. 

Kasumi soon followed and was soon happy that Manwein had provided her with the leather gloves because half way along the rope her hands began to cramp and sore greatly, and her muscles shook violently. 

Suddenly a whiz shot past her ear and she heard a snap from behind her. 

Kasumi squealed as the rope broke and they fell through the air. She looked below and saw Manwein fall under her, and she reached one hand down to grab him, but lost her grip and fell as well. 

They both fell onto the walkway on top of the guard wall with a thud. 

Kasumi's eyes grew wide as the sound of boots reached her ears. They stopped behind her and she looked up.

"And exactly what do you two think you are doing?" the guard asked.

When Kasumi and Manwein failed to answer, he ordered his comrades to grab them. 

Kasumi struggled to get free as they slipped a bag over her head and carried her away. She soon found that fighting was of no use and she stopped struggling and listened as Manwein soon realized that fact too. She bowed her head solemnly as she felt herself being carried somewhere.

She heard the sound of a door opening and soon she was thrown down onto what felt like a bed. They pulled the bag off her head, leaving her tied and gagged in the middle of her room. She watched as guards assembled at her door and her balcony and she fell back onto her pillows and closed her eyes, dreading what might be soon to come. As horrible thoughts filled her head, Kasumi slowly began to drift off into an unpleasant nightmare…

************************************************************************

Well, that suckz don't it? Hmm, what will happen next, huh? Well I already know what I'm gonna do, but imma let you guyz hang for awhile in suspense. Muwahahahaha!!!! Hehe, sorrie bout that, my evil side got to me again. Well please review with your questions, comments and/or comments!


	19. The Silent Cry

Yeup, I'm back again! I juz finished writin chp. 18 yesterday, but I decided to write diz chapter early, tho I don't kno when imma post it, cuz I waz hopin to get u guyz hung wit da cliffhanger I left in the last chapter…actually, can dat be called a cliffhanger? Oh, well, u decide…

************************************************************************

Kasumi groggily opened her eyes and looked around the room. The three guards assembled on the balcony were talking quietly, she could easily hear them, but to her disappointment she could not understand what they were saying. She pouted and sat up in bed, alerting one of the elves guarding her from the sitting room. 

He had not taken a seat, but had instead stood and leaned against the arm of a cushioned chair. He stared at her attentively, watching her every breath without a single blink. 

Kasumi eyed him nervously, uncomfortable about being watched so closely. She looked out a window and was shocked to find that it was still dark. She must have only slept a couple of hours since her capture. She looked back at the elf still vigilantly watching her. "Good morning to you sir," she called to him, hoping to get some information on her current situation. 

The elf grunted and stared at her blankly, his eyes cold, dark, and uncaring. 

Kasumi sighed and pouted, she had a very small chance of getting anything out of him. "Excuse me sir, if you do not mind me asking it of you, who is the captain in charge of the security around my room?" 

"You are under the supervision of Captain Haydn's regiment, he personally volunteered to assemble his finest soldiers in stations around your chambers," he announced proudly.

'Finest soldiers indeed,' Kasumi thought as she gazed around, recognizing most of the soldiers that she had defeated the day before. "If you could be so kind as to arrange for your captain to come here, I would be very grateful," she requested politely.

He stared at her for several moments, then addressed one of his companions sitting down and conversed with him softly. Soon after, the other elf stood and exited the room. "I have done as you have wished," he told her frigidly.

"I thank you," she said smiling, then stood from the bed and walked over to the dresser. The note and the garments she had left behind were still there, and she quickly took the note and burned it with one of the lighted candles. 'There is no use in anyone reading it now, we have failed, and the hope of escaping as fled from me,' she thought despairingly. 

She turned and watched as the doorway in the sitting opened and in stepped Haydn and the elf that had kindly gone to fetch him. 

Haydn quietly dismissed all the elves stationed in her chambers and she watched as they left, some appearing from rooms out of her sight. When they had left and the door was locked, Haydn approached her in the bedroom. 

"I see you've awakened," he said, his face expressionless. 

Kasumi frowned. "Please Haydn, don't be like this!" she pleaded from her seat on the bed. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her, his face turned distressed, and his voice was filled with hurt. "Did you even plan on saying a farewell?"

Kasumi sighed softly. "I wanted to tell you Haydn! It hurt a dreadfully, knowing that I couldn't say goodbye. I thought that if I said goodbye to you in person, that I would never be able to leave, and I did not want you to know of my plans, because then you would have to hide your knowledge, and if you were caught…Oh Haydn I didn't wish for you to be in trouble!" she cried, her body shaking from her whimpers.

As she said this, Haydn silently paced back and forth in front of the bed, turning his face the other way, so he would not have to look at her pleading face. 

Kasumi watched as he paced silently I front of her, and grabbed his hand as he passed her, turning him towards her. "Please Haydn! Please try to understand!" she begged, grasping his hand tightly, her eyes gleaming with tears.

He looked at her, his eyes fixed with hurt, and his brows set with anger. Deep within the sadness of her eyes he saw his angry reflection, and he sighed, knowing that her reason was true, and that fighting to merely uphold his pride was useless when her sadness was sincere. "Oh Kasumi!" he swept her into his arms and embraced her. 

Kasumi's eyes burst with tears as she leaned against him, wrapping her arms around him. "Please forgive me!"

He held her head as she sobbed, kissing her forehead and comforting her gently. "Shhh, everything is fine. There is nothing you have done that needs forgiving, you have never wronged me Kasumi," he whispered quietly. 

Kasumi pulled away from him slowly. "Manwein," she whispered. "Is his security under your charge as well? Do you know how he is doing?"

"Please forgive me!"

He held her head as she sobbed, kissing her forehead and comforting her gently. "Shhh, everything is fine. There is nothing you have done that needs forgiving, you have never wronged me Kasumi," he whispered quietly. 

Kasumi pulled away from him slowly. "Manwein," she whispered. "Is his security under your charge as well? Do you know how he is doing?"

"Yes, my guards are stationed around his chambers as well. I have not yet stopped by to check on him, so I do not know how he is faring."

"Please Haydn, please let me see him!" she begged.

Haydn smiled, and nodded. He was still greatly confused by Kasumi's feelings towards him and her friend Manwein, her actions and emotions were quite unorthodox, but he did not want to force her to make a decision, so he decided that he would have to wait…he did not care, he would wait forever.

Kasumi followed Haydn as they walked out of her chambers and down the hall to a door guarded by two guards. They nodded as they saw their captain and allowed them to enter. Haydn dismissed all the guards from Manwein's rooms as well, and they found Manwein in the bedroom, laying on the bed. 

He sat up shocked as he saw Haydn enter the room, but smiled widely as he saw Kasumi appear from behind him. 

Kasumi turned to Haydn. "Could I please talk with him privately?"

Haydn nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. 

"Kasumi! Have they done anything to hurt you?" Manwein asked as he rushed to her, holding her in an embrace. 

Kasumi stood there, her arms to her sides as he embraced her. She did not feel right being with both of them, she knew she had to choose, but she didn't have the heart to. 'I know I must choose, but who? Manwein he is tremendously sweet, but can he care for me like Haydn can? Haydn he is so caring and loving, but to be with him means to be here, but to be with Manwein could mean being free, if we ever get free…but Legolas he is sweet, caring, loving and he can help me be free,' Kasumi sighed. 'Legolas, my first true love, he is my choice. But how do I confess my doings to Haydn and Manwein? I cannot do it, I cannot force my heart to do such a thing.' Kasumi thought hard, then came up with a solution. 'I will not say a thing, but when they embrace me or kiss me, I will not return the favor, and excuse myself because "I am not feeling too well"'

Manwein looked down at her worriedly. "Is something wrong Kasumi?"

She shook her head, "Nothing, why do you ask?"

"

Manwein looked down at her worriedly. "Is something wrong Kasumi?"

She shook her head, "Nothing, why do you ask?"

"You seem…sad," he told her.

"I am not feeling too well," she lied.

"Did they do anything to hurt you?"

Kasumi shook her head and stepped away from his embrace. "What do you think they will do to us Manwein?" she asked him worriedly.

Manwein sighed, he had been trying not to think about it. "I know not, Kasumi. But whatever they may do, I will fight to lift you from punishment," he said determinedly, stepping forward to hold her.

Kasumi gently pulled his arms off of her, and stepped away, turning to look at him. "Thank you," she whispered, her head bowed down. "But that will not be necessary, I will happily suffer the same punishment placed upon you."

Manwein sighed, upset that his heroic offer hadn't made her lighten up from her sulking mood. 

The two turned to look at the door as a sudden knock came from behind it. 

"Yes?" Manwein called in question.

"Kasumi must return to her chambers now," Haydn replied.

"Very well then," Manwein said. "Goodbye for now then Kasumi," he embraced her and kissed her atop her head, but when she did not return his affection and instead turned and left through the door, Manwein frowned, perplexed. 'Is she not feeling well? Or has she chosen Haydn? But what of Prince Legolas? Please let it be the first…' he thought as she left his chambers with the dark elf at her side.

"I must be off Kasumi," Haydn told her as he accompanied her back to her bedroom. 

She nodded silently, and stood still as he raised her head and placed a kiss on her lips. 

As soon as Haydn left, several soldiers filed back into her chambers and assembled once again in their set stations. 

Kasumi sighed and fell onto the bed, her decision to ignore both Manwein's and Haydn's affection had already grown hard for Kasumi, but she knew that it was only fair to them to stop leading them on, before leaving them hurt too much. Though she cared greatly for the both of them, Kasumi knew that in the end Legolas was who she would love forever, but how long could she last like this?

She glanced out of the window and saw that the sun was rising, the rays of light flooding through the room as it lit up all the dark corners. She sighed and buried her head in the pillows, heaving a sigh as she breathed in the scented aroma of the clean sheets. The fragrance flowed around her drenching her senses in its sweetness, until her head grew heavy and her muscles grew tired. Kasumi tossed on to her side, her head resting on her hands, as she drifted slowly into a sweet sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Did you powder the bed with that concoction like the King requested?" the Lieutenant asked one of the guards stationed in the sitting room.

"Yes, I did so when she was away with the Captain, sir," the guard answered, handing back the bottle.

"Good," he replied. "You and your regiment will be under my charge as of now."

"What of Captain Haydn, sir?"

"He objected the King's request to apply the sleeping potion in the she-elf's room," he informed the soldier. "The King decided that he was not fit for the job, seeing that his favor for the guest has impair his judgment."

"Ah, I see," the guard replied, then returned to his station. 

The Lieutenant watched as the soldier returned to his location, and turned around when he heard a knock on the door. 

"Good morning Lieutenant," Kaeliona said as the door opened.

"Good morning," he answered stiffly as he let her in.

"The King requests that I dress Lady Kasumi and that once I am finished, he requests for you to bring her to the courtyard," Kaeliona told him as she pushed open the door to the bedroom.

"Excuse me, sir," she said. "Could you spare some of your soldiers to help assist me in moving Lady Kasumi to the courtyard?"

"Are they to carry her there?" he asked, confused when he saw the she-elf's body sleeping on the bed.

"No sir, I will awaken her as soon as I have a couple of guards to accompany me, the King said that she would undoubtedly put up a fight," she explained, holding up a slender vile, containing the counter remedy to the sleeping concoction. 

He nodded, and called over two of his strongest soldiers. "You are to accompany the she-elf down to the courtyard, where the King requests her presence," he ordered. "And remember…be gentle," he added with a sinister smile.

The two nodded and entered the bedroom behind Kaeliona.

Kaeliona propped up Kasumi's head and held the vile underneath her nose and watched as she breathed in the mixture. 

Kasumi groaned and wrenched open her eyes in surprise. "Huh?" she said confused.

"I apologize for waking you malady, but the King requests your presence," Kaeliona told her as Kasumi sat up. She dismissed the guards and closed the door. "Lady Kasumi, where is the dress that the King first gave to you?"

Kasumi pointed silently to the folded dress and boxed jewelry on the dresser. 

"Thank you," Kaeliona replied as she picked them up, and handed the dress to Kasumi.

"Must I wear this one?" Kasumi moaned.

Kaeliona nodded, "I am sorry malady."

Kasumi sighed and stepped behind the folding wood screen to change. 

Once she finished she helped Kaeliona put the jewelry on her and sat down as Kaeliona curled her hair into tight spirals. When they were finished she got up and followed Kaeliona out into the sitting room, where they were met by the two guards.

"They'll escort you down malady," Kaeliona told her and showed them out of the room.

After the door clicked shut, the two guards grunted and grabbed Kasumi by the arms and carried her down the hall.

"Ahhh!" Kasumi cried as she struggled to get free. "Unhand me this instant!" She kicked and squirmed, but to no prevail. Soon Kasumi began to tire and as they carried her down the stairs she quit struggling. 

They carried her down the hall past several smaller courtyards filled with soldiers training or servants washing sheets. She bowed her head and watched as the cobblestone floor moved under her until it was suddenly replaced with a smooth marble floor. She kept her head bowed and stared at the veins of stone running through the floor. 

The two guards set her on the ground, but still kept a firm grip on her arms.

Kasumi looked up solemnly and gazed around the courtyard, many elves were seated along the edges but the middle remained empty. She scanned her gaze across the open space until she found an unpleasant sight. 

"No!!" she struggled in the grasp of the guards. "No!! Manwein!!" she screamed as she caught sight of Manwein's body kneeling down several feet in front of the King's raised pedestal, hands tied behind his back, his neck resting over a wooden chopping block. "No!!! Let me go!!!" she kicked the guards in the stomach and fell onto the ground as they dropped her, crumpling in pain. 

Kasumi stood up and ran to Manwein, wrapping her arms around his neck, embracing him. "No!! No, no, no!" she whispered as she clutched him tightly. "They can't do this!" 

Manwein looked at her and smiled. "It is all for the better if they take me and leave you," he whispered to her.

Kasumi shook her head, tears pouring down her face. "No!" she hugged him tightly, kissing his forehead. "I won't let them take you away from me!" She wrapped her arms around him and shielded him with her body. "No, no, no," she sobbed, her body shaking violently, convulsing with fear. "You can't go Manwein," she whispered into his ear. 

She took his face in her hands and looked at him, his face was set and determined, but his eyes were filled with sadness and dread. "You can't do this Manwein," she whispered. "Please don't leave me!"

He stretched toward her and kissed her on the lips. "I'm doing this so you can live Kasumi. I love you Kasumi…Cutheniel…whoever you are, I love you!" he whispered, kissing her again. 

Kasumi shook her head. "N-no don't leave m-me!" she begged him quietly, her voice faltering as her hands shook.

"I love you Kasumi!" Manwein told her.

Kasumi kissed him on the lips lovingly, holding him close, her tears soaking his face. She pulled away from the kiss and held his head close, resting her nose against him. "And I …love you, Manwein!" she whispered, the phrase broken between her sniffles.

He kissed her and smiled at her. "Please Kasumi, do not cry. You are the last thing I want to see before I am taken, but I do not want to see you crying. What comfort would that be to me?" he told her with a small chuckle.

Kasumi nodded silently and wiped away her tears, sniffling as she wiped her nose. Her lips trembled as she forced a smile, but faltered as she whimpered softly.

"Kasumi," he whispered quietly. "We do not have much time left. I have something for you, please, take it out of my pocket, but do not let them see."

Kasumi nodded and discreetly slipped a folded piece of parchment from his pocket. She look down and started to unfold it.

"No," Manwein stopped her. "I do not wish for you to read it now. Read it after all of this is done...after I am gone. Keep it, so you can remember me by."

Kasumi nodded, re-folded the note, and hid it in her closed hand. "I need no trinket to remember you by, but I shall keep it always, for I do not have the heart to discard it."

Manwein smiled in that way he always did, and kissed her softly.

The kiss lasted long, but suddenly she was wrenched away from him by the guards who carried her to the King's pedestal.

She did not struggle, and she did not cry. She merely looked deep into Manwein's eyes, but deep inside she was crying, screaming for someone to free him, sobbing in anguish, but no one answered her when she had cried aloud, and no one would answer when her heart cried either. 

Kasumi was roughly thrown onto a cushion placed next to the King's throne. The guards attached a chain onto her anklet and clasped it to the leg of the throne. The King began to speak, but his loud, booming voice was drowned out in Kasumi's head as she watched Manwein. Her eyes began to tear and her lips began to quiver, but Manwein shook his head pleadingly and she wiped the drops away. He nodded approvingly and gave her a loving smile. 

Kasumi mouthed an 'I love you', while her mind raced with thoughts: _'How could I let this happen? How could I have ignored him all this time? Why could I not realize how much I cared for him until now?!'_

Her thoughts were interrupted as she listened to the King.

"These two elves were caught in an attempt to escape from my palace, and as a punishment I have given this warrior the death-sentence, and as punishment his accomplice shall watch him die, and live to remember it, and may it haunt her mind for the rest of her life, always reminding her never again to cross the Dark King of the kingdom of Gwathdore!" the King exclaimed his voice ringing throughout the courtyard. 

Kasumi now knew that the rumors were true, the Dark King was heartless, and no one crosses him without a scarring punishment. He had given her the worst: he had spared her, so that she could live forever in pain, and she knew he was right, she would never forget this…

Kasumi watched silently as a burly elf stepped into the courtyard, wearing all black. In his hands he carried a large heavy sword and walked towards Manwein's kneeling figure. 

Kasumi shivered in dread, as the executioner's shadow covered Manwein's body. She looked deep into his eyes and saw a great fear, his face showed no expression, but deep inside she knew her same fear was inside him. Kasumi's lips quivered and pouted, her brow furrowed in grief. She lifted her shaking hand and blew him a final kiss. "I love you," she whispered.

She watched in horror as Manwein bowed his head onto the block, extending his neck giving the executioner a clear cut. 

"Proceed," the King commanded coldly, and the executioner raised his axe. 

The blade swung down through the air and Kasumi turned away as the metal hit flesh. She shivered as she buried her face in her hands, sobbing silently as she listened to footsteps walking out to the courtyard collecting someone Kasumi would never forget, and she heard water splashing onto the smooth marble floor washing away the blood of her hero. 

Kasumi remained in her spot, still refusing to look at where Manwein once stood, clutching the note tightly, shaking violently as she sobbed, allowing no sound to escape from her lips as she fainted in exhaustion... 

************************************************************************

Oh no! ::sniffles:: I can't believe I juz did dat!! Oh!! I'm sorry guyz, but it'z all a part of life. ::sniffz:: Now I feel horrible! ::cries:: I'm gonna miss him! Please don't flame me for cutting Manwein out of the picture, but it's juz one of the pains in Kas/Cuth's life that she has to learn to live with. ::wipes eyes:: I didn't think I could do it, I was afraid my poor lil' heart wouldn't be able to take it...::whimpers and tears up::...but the deed is done, and some things in life cannot be changed...I have to go now, I ran out of tissue...::blows nose::...Ciao! :'( ~~ crying face (if ya didn't already kno dat)


End file.
